Valerie Barnhart (left) and the Ducks celebrated their fifth straight Skyline championship and third consecutive NCAA berth. |
HOBOKEN, N.J. – Senior forward Valerie Barnhart (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown) tallied two goals to lead Stevens Institute of Technology to a 4-0 win over St. Joesph’s-Patchogue in the Skyline Conference women’s soccer championship game on Saturday at DeBaun Field. With the win, Stevens improves to 18-1-1 and earns its fifth straight Skyline championship. The Skyline champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.
Junior forward Coralynn Jones (Stevensville, Mont./Stevensville) scored Stevens' first goal of the game at 22:29 off with sophomore forward Heather Dean (Renton, Wash./Charles Lindbergh) and senior midfielder Kim Mirra (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) assisting on the play. Despite a 16-1 advantage in shots in the first half, the Ducks carried a 1-0 lead into halftime.
The Ducks continued to control possession in the second half, eventually opening up a 2-0 lead in the 77th minute when Barnhart converted a penalty kick following a St. Joseph's handball in the box. Barnhart added her second goal of the game at the 83:03 mark. Dean notched her eighth goal of the season with one minute left in the game on a feed from sophomore forward Cristina Fulgencio (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan E. Wagner).
Stevens held a 32-2 advantage in shots and a 11-0 edge in corner kicks in the game.
Katie Schnitzenbaumer made 15 saves for St. Joseph’s while sophomore goalkeeper Erica Midttveit (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) picked up her 14th shutout of the season for the Ducks.
Barnhart has now totaled at least one goal and one assist and Dean has tallied at least one assist in the Ducks last three games.
Stevens will await word on the its opening round NCAA Tournament opponent as bids are announced on Sunday evening, November 7.
Goals by period 1 2 Tot
-------------------------------
St. Joseph's-LI..... 0 0 - 0
Stevens............. 1 3 - 4
SCORING SUMMARY:
1. 22:32 SIT JONES, Coralynn (DEAN, Heather;MIRRA, Kim)
2. 76:06 SIT BARNHART, Valerie (penalty kick)
3. 83:03 SIT BARNHART, Valerie (unassisted)
4. 88:59 SIT DEAN, Heather (FULGENCIO, Cristina)
Shots: St. Joseph's-LI 1, Stevens 33
Saves: St. Joseph's-LI 15 (Kate Schnitzenbaumer 15), Stevens 0 ()
