Albany, N.Y. – The LIU Post women's soccer team's season came to an end this afternoon, as the Pioneers fell 2-1 in overtime to St. Rose in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship.
LIU Post finishes the season with a 15-3-1 overall record and an East Coast Conference regular season championship under their belts.
The Pioneers got out to an early 1-0 lead when junior forward Susanne Vistnes (Randaberg, Norway) scored in the ninth minute. Senior back Lauren Bellone (West Islip, N.Y.) found the streaking Vistnes, who took two dribbles and sent a shot in with her left foot from 18 yards out into the lower right corner.
The game seemed destined for a 1-0 score at half until St. Rose put one up on the board with 37 seconds to go before the break. The shot by Carmelina Puopolo seemed to be kept out by sophomore keeper Hreffie Agnarsdottir (Reykjavik, Iceland), but the referees decided that the ball crossed the line for the game-tying goal.
The Pioneers were outshot by the Golden Knights, 8-3, in the first 45 minutes. St. Rose also held a 7-0 edge in corner kicks. Agnarsdottir made four saves in the first half.
In the second half, LIU Post had a chance to go ahead late as Vistnes sent a high kick that bounced just inside the box, then hit the crossbar. A scramble in front of the goal ensued and the ball wound up squirting out from underneath St. Rose keeper Ashley Homer and rolling into the net, but the referee called a foul against the Pioneers before the ball crossed the line. With neither team able to score in the second half, the teams headed to overtime.
With 38 seconds left in the first overtime session, Puopolo sent a shot in from 20 yards out that found the mesh, giving St. Rose the 2-1 overtime win.
In all, Agnarsdottir made a season-high seven saves for the Pioneers.
Provided by the LIU Post Sports Information Department.
