NAZARETH TAKES E8 TITLE, 2-1 IN OVERTIME
Golden Flyers receive automatic bid to NCAA tournament
• BOXSCORE | • CUMULATIVE STATS

UTICA, N.Y. (Nov. 4, 2006) – Sophomore Kelly Finn (pictured) scored the game-winning goal early in the first overtime Saturday to lift the Golden Flyers to a 2-1 women’s soccer victory over Utica in the championship game of the Empire 8 Conference Tournament.

The win boosted Nazareth’s overall record to 9-6-3 and clinched the team’s first NCAA Division III Tournament berth since 2002. The Golden Flyers have now won or shared the E8 title for seven straight seasons. Nazareth reached Saturday’s title match with a 1-0 overtime win at Ithaca Thursday.

“We’re very excited,” said Nazareth Coach Gail Mann. “We played poorly in the first half, but we kept the ball on the ground and played much better in the second half.”

Utica had a 17-5 advantage in shots after 90 minutes of regulation play. Nazareth, however, controlled the overtime, getting four shots on Utica keeper Ashley Kaufman. The fourth shot resulted in the game-winner just 2:25 into the first extra period as Finn broke free after receiving a back-healed pass from senior Rosie Simiele, who was credited with the assist. Finn dribbled in alone on goal and buried the winning shot into the lower left corner.

“It was an amazing goal,” Mann said. “Rosie made a great back-healed pass to set up Kelly.”

Utica had a 10-2 shot advantage in the first half, but Nazareth got an unassisted goal from junior Caroline Parsons with 3:18 left in the half to take a 1-0 lead into the break.

Utica tied the score and forced overtime with 15 minutes left in regulation on a goal by Kristen Vasta off an assist from Danielle Smith.

Junior goalie Shannon Burns finished with 11 saves for Nazareth.

Nazareth will learn its first-round NCAA opponent Sunday when the pairings are announced. The Golden Flyers made six straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 1997 through 2002, but were denied automatic bids each of the last three seasons through penalty kicks following the E8 championship game