Bridgeport Blanks UC San Diego, 2-0, To Earn Spot In National Championship Match

Bridgeport Blanks UC San Diego, 2-0, To Earn Spot In National Championship Match

Pittsburgh, Pa. - Second half goals from sophomore Amanda Ebbesson (Solna, Sweden) and junior Maegen Doyle (Harwich, England) helped lift the University of Bridgeport women's soccer team to a 2-0 win over the UC San Diego Tritons in semifinals of the NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament on Thursday night in Pittsburgh, Pa.  The Purple Knights, who will be making the program's first-ever NCAA National Championship appearance in women's soccer, will face the winner of semifinal number two between Lee and Grand Valley State at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday.  UB is now 19-4-1 overall, and UCSD closes out 2018 at 19-3-2.

After a scoreless first half, Ebbesson netted her third goal of 2018, all of which have come during the NCAA Tournament, after a beautiful combination pass from junior Elin Eklund (Gothenburg, Sweden) and freshman Annie Bjork (Malmo, Sweden) just over seven minutes into the second half.

Doyle gave the Purple Knights a much needed insurance goal when she hammered home a free kick from well beyond the penalty box at the 73:00 minute mark for her 28th goal the season.   Doyle now has scored in seventeen straight matches in which she has played.

UB senior goalkeeper Jennifer Wendelius (Lidingo, Sweden) made four saves to earn the shutout, her eleventh clean sheet of 2018 and number 32 of her career.  Wendelius also now has 58 wins in a Bridgeport uniform.

The Tritons outshot Bridgeport, 18-11, on the night and held an 8-3 advantage in corner kicks, but the Purple Knights held strong throughout the evening to record the clean sheet.

Provided by the Bridgeport Sports Information Department.