Women's Soccer Advances to MASCAC Championship

Worcester, MA --- Senior Sarah Connors (Gardner, MA) converted the game-winning goal on a corner kick in the 81st minute to help lift #2 Worcester State over third-seeded Westfield State in the semifinal round of the MASCAC Tournament.

The Lancers (9-5-4) will entertain #4 Bridgewater State on Saturday at 1 PM as they try to capture their fifth tournament crown since the four-team competition for the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament started in 2000.

In earlier MASCAC semifinal action, the Bears upset top-seeded MCLA in a 0-0 thriller that ended with BSU on top 4-2 in penalty kicks. The Owls see their 2010 campaign end at 6-9-3.

Worcester State used an aggressive attack to net their first goal in the 30th minute as first-year Kathleen Smith (Rehoboth, MA) slipped past the back line to feed the ball to junior Danielle Clifford (Attleboro, MA).

The Lancers held a 10-1 advantage in shots with 10 minutes remaining in the first half, but the Owls would fire off three more attempts as two of them were blocked by Worcester State defenders. Owl sophomore Brittanie McGregor's (Ludlow, MA) bid with just over 90 seconds left in the stanza was the best chance and it was deflected off the fingertips by sophomore keeper Angieszaka Sychtysz (Warren, MA).

Play continued to go back and forth to start the second half before second-year Kayley Miller (Ludlow, MA) hit home her team-leading 12th marker of the season for the equalizer in the 58th minute off of a free kick that deflected off of the keeper's hands into the net.

As both teams were even in shots over the next 20 minutes of game time, the Lancers emerged with the 2-1 edge Conner's attempt off of a corner kick glanced off of the goalie into the net. Four of Connor's six tallies this season have been for match clinchers.

The Owls then did everything they could do to knot the score, but the back line of the Blue and Gold held the visitors to just two tries in the final 10 minutes of the contest.

Worcester State finished with a 18-13 advantage in shots (9-7 on goal) and a 7-5 lead in corners.

Sychtysz turned aside six shots as she improved her record to 2-0-1 on the season. Freshman Jess Habif (Holliston, MA) collected seven saves in the setback.