Pensacola, Fla. - The magical 2015 season for the University of Bridgeport women's soccer team came to an end on Thursday afternoon in the NCAA Division II National Championship Semifinals in Pensacola. Florida, as the Purple Knights fell to the Lady Cougars of Columbus State (Ga.) University, 3-1.
Bridgeport wraps up its best season in program history with 21-2-1 overall record. Columbus State moves onto Saturday's National Championship match with a 22-2-1 overall mark. Both teams were making their first-ever appearances in the national semifinals. Prior to this season, UB had not advanced past the Third Round of the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship.
Columbus State scored a pair of first half goals finding the back of the net in the 22nd and 39th minutes to take a 2-0 lead in the locker room at halftime.
The Lady Cougars would add an own goal in the 64th minute of action to up their advantage to 3-0.
The Purple Knights would not go quietly in the end, as freshman Jess Laszlo (Stamford, Conn.) scored her 23rd goal of the year, when she lifted a shot over CSU's goalkeeper Maylyn Parsons, who made six saves on the day, with 2:25 to play in the match.
Bridgeport goalkeeper Jennifer Wendelius (Fr., Lidingo, Sweden) made a total of five stops on the day for the Purple Knights.
Shots were fairly even between the two teams in the match, as the Lady Cougars held a slim 18-16 advantage. Columbus State did take nine corner kicks to only three for Bridgeport, and the first goal of the match did come off a scramble following a corner.
Provided by the Bridgeport Sports Information Department.
