Celebration
1
DeSales DSU (6-12-2, 3-3-1)
3
Winner Stevens SIT (11-5-2, 6-1-0)
DeSales DSU
(6-12-2, 3-3-1)
1
Final
3
Stevens SIT
(11-5-2, 6-1-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
DeSales DSU 0 1 1
Stevens SIT 0 3 3

Game Recap: Women's Soccer |

Three Goal Second Half Sends Women's Soccer Past DeSales

Hoboken, N.J. – The No. 2 seed Stevens Institute of Technology women's soccer team rode a three-goal second half to knock off No. 3 DeSales University 3-1 in the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom Semifinals on Wednesday evening.

Elsa Bley, Alina Friz, and Sophia Murphy potted goals for Stevens (11-5-2), who will face top-seeded Misericordia University in the MAC Freedom Championship on Saturday. Tori Harnett tallied the lone goal for DeSales (6-12-2).

HOW IT HAPPENED
The first half featured just nine shots, with Stevens outshooting the Bulldogs 6-3. Friz had the opening shot on frame in the third minute, as Sarah Wnorowski was denied by goalkeeper Saige Santa Cruz in the 26th. Stevens goalkeeper Kenny Donley was pressed into action in the 29th minute, stopping Emma Ribiero. Donley kept the game deadlocked at zero with a 30th-minute denial on Makayla Issakhani, and the two sides entered the break level at zero.

The Bulldogs broke through 35 seconds into the second stanza. After Stevens was whistled for a handball in the box, Harnett stepped up to the spot and beat a diving Donley, making it 1-0. The Ducks answered just two minutes later. Bley sent in a shot from about 40 yards, and the ball went through the goalkeeper's hands and into the goal, leveling the match at one.

The Ducks hunted for the go-ahead goal, as Wnorowski was stopped from in close right after the Bley marker. The Stevens defense kept the Bulldogs at bay, controlling the midfield and not allowing DeSales to get sustained pressure. Stevens got their second goal in the 65th minute as Bley played a low pass to Lauren Alley. The junior quickly moved the ball to Friz, and the newcomer took a took and fired a low shot that beat Santa Cruz, 

With their first lead of the day, the home side tacked on the insurance marker five minutes later. Olivia Castro won a ball near the sideline and threaded a pass to Murphy. The first-year took a touch and fired a low try that eluded the goalkeeper, doubling the advantage. The Stevens defense did the rest, preventing DeSales from notching a shot on goal over the final 20 minutes.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Stevens and Misericordia have now met in five straight MAC Freedom finals.
  • The Ducks have reached the conference title game every year since 2015
  • Friz's game-winner marked her third of the season, tying Murphy for the team lead.
  • Murphy has four goals over her last four games.
FROM THE FIELD (Head Coach Stuart Dick)
  • "That was a battle. DeSales were excellent. Really well organized and caused us a lot of problems" We showed a lot of character to come back from a goal down and to continue to pass the ball. Playoff football is tough and sometimes you just have to find a way to win."
UP NEXT
The Ducks will head to Dallas, Pa., for a 4 pm showdown against top-seeded and No. 6 nati" nally Misericordia. The Cougars upended Stevens 1-0 in the regular season finale last Saturday.
 
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