TOWSON, Maryland – Led by redshirt junior midfielder
Morgan Nanni, UNCW erased a two-goal deficit in the second half to outlast Northeastern, 3-2, in the semifinals of the Colonial Athletic Association Women's Soccer Championship at Towson University's Tiger Field on Thursday evening.
The win extended the Seahawks' winning streak to five straight games while moving them to 7-2-0 on the season. Northeastern, making its 10th consecutive CAA Championship appearance, saw its season end with a 5-5-1 mark.
Trailing by a 2-0 margin at the intermission, the Seahawks went to work and netted three unassisted goals to take a 3-2 lead midway through the second half.
Senior forward
Audrey Harding started the comeback just over three minutes into the second half, knocking in a rebound of a shot by freshman
Madison Henry for her fifth goal of the year.
With 26:30 left in regulation, Nanni evened the score at 2-2 when she blasted a 25-yard shot past sophomore goalkeeper
Angeline Friel off an assist from redshirt junior defender
Grace Pilcher.
UNCW was awarded a penalty kick in the 70th minute when junior defender
Talia Parrous was taken down by Friel in the penalty area. Nanni stepped to the spot and put her attempt into the upper right corner of the goal, giving the Seahawks their first lead of the contest.
Northeastern had several chances to tie the game in the closing 20 minutes, including a shot by
Alexis Legowski that hit the post with 2:48 remaining, but the Huskies were unable to get the tying goal.
The Huskies took a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute when senior
Katarina Nilsson slipped a pass into the box that was knocked in by freshman
Gaby Scarlett for her second goal of the season.
Northeastern extended the advantage to 2-0 with 26:07 left in the first half as
Chelsea Domond tallied her fourth goal of the season after taking a Scarlett pass and blasting a shot into the upper left corner.
Barefoot, the CAA's Goalkeeper and Rookie of the Year, made a season-high eight saves in the win for the Seahawks, who were outshot by an 18-16 margin. Friel also tallied eight saves in a losing effort for Northeastern.
Game Notes:
- UNCW will make its third appearance in the CAA Championship Game, but the first since 2012 … The Seahawks won the 2009 crown with a 1-0 victory over James Madison, but dropped a 2-1 double overtime decision against Hofstra in the 2012 title game.
- UNCW improved to 7-14-4 all-time in the CAA Championship.
- The Seahawks and Huskies met in the postseason for the second time … Northeastern edged UNCW, 1-0, in the 2008 first round at the UNCW Soccer Stadium.
- Seven of the last eight games between UNCW and Northeastern have been decided by one goal.
- UNCW snapped a three-game winless streak in the CAA Championship with Thursday's victory … The Seahawks' last win prior to Thursday came in 2015, a 4-0 victory over Delaware in the quarterfinals.
- Nanni becomes the third UNCW player to record a two-goal effort in the CAA Championship … Christy Timbers had two goals in the 1998 quarterfinals against Old Dominion, while Maddie McCormick scored twice in the Seahawks' 4-0 win over Delaware in the 2015 quarterfinals.
- Nanni recorded the fourth two-goal game of her college career.
- Nanni's penalty kick goal was the second in UNCW's CAA Championship history … Stephanie Rose registered the other penalty kick goal in the 2012 championship game against Hofstra.
- Barefoot's eight saves were the most by a UNCW goalkeeper in the CAA Championship since Carolyn Huddy tallied eight stops in the 2013 quarterfinals against Hofstra.
Up Next: The Seahawks advance to the CAA Championship Game on Saturday, Apr. 17, where they will face Elon at 3 p.m. The Phoenix upset top-seeded Hofstra, 1-0, in the first semifinal on Thursday afternoon.
