Gonet Lifts Womens Soccer Into MASCAC Semifinals In Overtime Victory
Worcester, MA --- Senior Gaby Gonet drained the match-clinching goal in the 97th minute off a free kick as she helped propel fourth-seeded Worcester State to a 1-0 triumph in overtime over #5 Salem State in the quarterfinal round of the MASCAC Women’s Soccer Tournament.
Worcester, MA --- Senior Gaby Gonet (Agawam, MA) drained the match-clinching goal in the 97th minute off a free kick as she helped propel fourth-seeded Worcester State to a 1-0 triumph in overtime over #5 Salem State in the quarterfinal round of the MASCAC Women's Soccer Tournament.
The Lancers (10-6-2) move to the semifinals to take on top-seeded Framingham State on Friday at 2 PM.
The Vikings wrap up their season with an overall mark of 7-8-2.
After a scoreless opening frame that saw WSU hold a 3-1 edge in shots, the hosts had a great chance to go ahead off of a corner kick by junior Alyssa Sawyer (W. Springfield, MA) in the 66th minute.
Junior Cassie Giardina (Pittsfield, MA) headed the ball Sawyer's bid in the air and senior Brittany Rotatori (Auburn, MA) tried to finish, but it was snatched up by sophomore net minder Rachel Ledbetter (Dracut, MA).
The visitors had a corner kick in the 78th minute that sophomore Amy Griffith (Middleton, MA) tried to head on the far side of the field, however, the attempt was just over the crossbar.
Two Worcester State bids were rejected by the Salem State back line to prevent a shot on net in the last 10 minutes of the second frame.
Senior Kelsey Delaney (Wakefield, MA) made a tremendous play on freshman Beth Spinazzola's (Westford, MA) open look in the 80th minute and she diagnosed a beautiful read again in the waning moments of regulation off of a sophomore Alicia Macomber (Stoughton, MA) shot.
The Lancers continued to control possession of the ball into the extra session and the best opportunity presented itself in in the form of a free kick, just to the right side of the box on the 20 yard line. Gonet responded with a laser beam over the wall of defenders and into the open net for her sixth marker of the season.
The golden goal for Gonet was also the 22nd of her outstanding career for the eighth most tallies in program history.
Worcester State led in shots (16-2) and corner kicks (5-1).
Ledbetter turned aside four shots for the Vikings while sophomore Jillian Witkowski (Leicester, MA) was not called upon to make a save in her eighth victory of the season.
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