Women’s Soccer Edged in Shootout by Wentworth in CCC Semifinals

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College women's soccer team battled Wentworth to a 1-1 tie before falling in a shootout 5-4 in the semifinals of the Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament Tuesday evening at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The third-seed Lions move to 9-9-2 on the year and will wait to learn of an ECAC Tournament berth. The seventh-seeded Leopards progress to 9-8-3 overall and advance to the CCC Championship match at top-seeded Roger Williams.

The home team captured a 1-0 lead in the 31st minute. Jules Speno (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) fired a shot from the top of the penalty area into the lower left corner of the cage for her fifth tally of the season. With her 39th career goal, Speno tied the all-time program mark for most career points with 92 and is now one score shy of equaling the all-time program record for most career goals.

Junior Justine Buchanan (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) picked up her first assist of the fall on Eastern Nazarene's opening strike.

The Lions carried the 1-0 edge into the halftime break. The visitors notched eight first-half shots while the hosts registered seven.

Wentworth leveled the score at 1-1 in the 54th minute as Valeria Zapata buried her ninth goal of the season. Amanda Weinberger slipped a through-ball to Zapata down the right side of the penalty area and the junior tucked a shot inside the far post.

At the end of regulation, the two squads were even at 1-1 with Eastern Nazarene owning a 16-14 advantage in shots.

Despite playing down a player due to a red card being issued early in the first overtime period, the Lions fired six shots in overtime while limiting the Leopards to just one.

For the second straight contest, Eastern Nazarene went to a shootout after ending in a 1-1 tie.

Katherine Lawrence (Marlborough, Conn.), Maleesa Santos (Colonie, N.Y.), Hannah Scahill (Quaker Hill, Conn.) and Buchanan all converted from the spot for the Lions. Wentworth prevailed after all five shooters found the back of the net, capped off by Olivia Moore.

Junior Kristen Farley (Westminster, Mass.) stopped seven shots between the pipes for the home side.

Beverly Farris made six saves in goal for the Leopards before Weinberger manned the cage for the shootout.