Bridgeport, Conn. - For the first time in program history, the University of Bridgeport women's soccer program has captured the NCAA Division II East Region title with a hard-fought 2-1 home win over the visiting Adelphi University Panthers. The top-two seeds in the East Region gave a large crowd gathered at Knights Field their monies worth as all three goals in the match came in the second half. UB, now 20-1-1 overall, will face East Stroudsburg University, the Atlantic Region champios, for a trip to the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Semifinals at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. ESU defeated Edinboro, 2-0, in Bridgeport on Friday. Adelphi finished its season at 18-3-2 overall.
The Panthers, ranked number 12 in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches Association, scored the first goal of the afternoon at the 54:43 mark when Samantha Lanza netted her third goal of the year off a goalmouth scramble following a corner kick.
The host Purple Knights , ranked 5th in the nation by the NSCAA, would tie the match at 1-1 less than three minutes later at 57:19 when junior Lauren Mengel (Gilbertsville, Pa.) tapped home a perfect pass from sophomore Nicole Greenwald (Levittown, N.Y.) for her third tally of 2015.
Bridgeport's captain Nicola Worthington (Jr., Chorley, England) scored the game-winning goal off booming free kick from outside the 18-yard back that beat Adelphi goalkeeper Anne Marie Ulliac to the back post with 9:25 to play in the match. Worthington now has two goals this season.
Bridgeport freshman goalkeeper Jennifer Wendelius (Lidingo, Sweden) came up big in the match making a season-high nine saves, as the Panthers outshot UB, 19-8, on the day.
Provided by the Bridgeport Sports Information Department.
