BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - Freshman forward Alexa Niciforo (East Islip, N.Y.) scored the game winning goal one minute and twenty nine seconds into overtime, giving the C.W. Post women's soccer team a 1-0 win over Queens College as well as the 2010 East Coast Conference women's soccer championship title.
C.W. Post's record improves to 13-1-4 overall, while Queens now stands at 11-7-2.
The game was largely a defensive battle with a strong prevailing wind preventing many long balls and knocking down several cross attempts. However, the Pioneers had an excellent opportunity in the 30th minute of the first half, as senior forward Ivana Babic (Haninge, Sweden) broke away and went one-on-one with Queens goalkeeper Allison Breakey. Breakey came out to defend the ball and Babic got off a shot, but the ball went wide to the right of the goal post by approximatley one yard.
Although the Pioneers had a strong first half despite attacking into the wind, the teams went into the halftime break knotted at 0-0.
The Knights came out strong in the second stanza, and Queens had a scoring chance of their own in the second half, as the Knights were awarded a corner kick in the 53rd minute. A scramble in front of the net ensued, and Katherine Colon poked a shot towards the lower corner of the net as junior goalkeeper Allie Weiser (Grand Island, N.Y.) came out to defend the corner. However, senior midfielder Danielle DeLuca (Islip, N.Y.) was right in position to make the defensive save and knocked the ball away. Colon gained control of the ball yet again towards the right of the box, and sent a shot towards the lower left corner yet again, but Weiser made a diving stop to her right and hung onto the ball to keep the game scoreless.
Scoring opportunities continued to be sparse for both teams and Queens applied consistent offensive pressure in the second half, attacking with pass after pass from the midfield, but the Pioneer defense stayed calm and made several key defensive stops, getting outstanding play from central backs Anna Svensson (Stockholm, Sweden) and Qaroline Nahl (Kumla, Sweden).
With momentum seemingly on the side of Queens, as they outshot the Pioneers 5-2 in the second half, C.W. Post wasted no time in squelching any QC momentum at all in the overtime period, and just a minute after OT started, Niciforo gained control outside the top of the penalty box and dribbled past a defender, setting herself up for a open shot. She took full advantage, as she placed the ball just out of Breakey's reach into the upper shelf of the goal, giving the Pioneers the victory and the championship title.
Both C.W. Post and Queens await the NCAA East Regional seedings, as C.W. Post earns the ECC's automatic qualifier and Queens will wait and see if they are awarded an at-large bid.
Provided by the C.W. Post Sports Information Department.
