AMY CORCHARD SCORES GAME-WINNER IN 2-1 DOUBLE OVERTIME
WIN IN NCAA SECTIONAL SEMIFINALS
from the desk of Dick Quinn - Williams SID

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – The first time Western Connecticut and Worcester State played this season the outcome was determined in 90 minutes with Western Connecticut prevailing 2-0, but today it took 13:11 minutes longer for Western Connecticut to down Worcester State, 2-1.
 
Western Connecticut opened the contest by controlling the midfield, mostly by the dominant play of sophomore midfielder Cassie Barbaresi, who seemed to be everywhere and when she was in the attacking third she had the ball at her feet. "Barbaresi is the best player I've seen in Div, III," said Worcester State Matt Kagan validating the performance by Barbaresi.
 
The first real threat of the game came when the Colonials' Angela Wozniak fired a shot from outside box on the left to the far post that required Erin Doherty to dive to her left to keep out of the goal. A Colonials' direct kick by Caitlin Boyle moments later, flicked on by Catherine Nathans also tested Doherty but she kept the ball out of the net again with a quick reaction.
 
Worcester State made a few runs into the attacking third of the field, but the Lancers had trouble getting testing shots on the Colonials' Jenna Cappellieri.
 
Western Connecticut notched the first goal of the contest at 34:06 when Barbaresi lofted a corner kick from the right of Doherty across the goalmouth and past the fingertips of Doherty to the feet of Molly Desljarlais who was able to get the ball to Nathans who beat Doherty.
 
Just before the first half ended the Lancers made one last run at the goal, but Cappellieri was up to the task of stopping a shot from the top of the box by Kelsey Irish. Irish tried to go up high and under the bar, but Cappellieri was able to elevate and snare the shot as the horn went off ending the half.
 
The second half started off slowly as each team had trouble building an attack and again it was Barbaresi who shook things up. Her direct kick from about 35 yards out to the right of Doherty was just punched up and over the bar by a leaping Doherty to keep the score 1-0 in favor of Western Connecticut.
 
As the second half wore on the Lancers began to have more and more success with the long ball and Tiffany Rotatori was almost sprung at 85:07 when her right footed shot from Cappellieri's left was two feet wide of the right post and crashed into the side netting. Refusing to be denied, Rotatori was back a little over three minutes later to net the equalizer as she took a pass from Stephanie Demake down the left side of the box and ripped a left footer back across the goal to beat Cappellieri to knot the score at 1 at 88:31.
 
The score remained tied at one at the end of regulation and both teams managed one shot each in the first overtime session. Early in the second OT stanza Western Connecticut's Megan Staropoli found sophomore midfielder Amy Corchard just inside the box on the right with a pass in the 104th minute and Corchard scored the game-winning goal that boosted the Colonials into an Elite Eight game tomorrow vs. Hamilton College.
 
"I was wide open and I was saying to myself, please give me the ball, I know I will score," said Amy Corchard. Corchard fired the Staropoli pass just inside the far left post to send the Colonials on to the Sectional Finals on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 pm.
 
"A lot of teams would have folded giving up a late goal like we did, but our kids were great about getting together to get this done – we didn't even have to say anything to them," said Western head coach Joe Mingachos. 
 
The 2-1 win by Western Connecticut upped the Colonials' record to 20-2-1 on the year, while the Lancers ended their season at 16-6.
 
Looking ahead to tomorrow's match up with Hamilton, a 2-1 winner over host Williams, Mingachos said, "It's going to be a very difficult match for us against a Hamilton team that came in here and beat a good Williams team. It will be interesting to see how we respond mentally and physically after today's match."
 

 Soccer Game Summary (Final)

 Worcester State (16-6-0) vs. Western Connecticut (20-2-1)
 Date: Nov 17, 2007  Attendance: 
 Weather: partly cloudy, windy, cold

 Goals by period	1	2	OT	O2	Tot
 Worcester State	0	1	0	0	1
 Western Connecticut	1	0	0	1	2
 

 SCORING SUMMARY:
 1	34:06	WestConn	Catherine Nathans (#17) (Molly Desjarlais)
 2	88:31	Worcester State	Tiffany Rotatori (Stephanie Demake)
 3	103:11	WestConn	Amy Corchard (#6) (Megan Staropoli)

 Shots: Worcester State 13, Western Connecticut 14
 Saves: Worcester State 12 (Erin Doherty 12)
	Western Connecticut 7 (Jenna Cappellieri 7)

WESTCONN NOTES:
20 wins ties a school mark for wins in a season...  
also won 20 games in 2001 and 2006
First time program has advanced to the Sectional Finals

WESTCONN WOMEN'S SOCCER ADVANCES TO SECTIONALS OF
NCAA DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT THIS WEEKEND

DANBURY, CONN. - (Nov. 12, 2007) - After defeating Rowan University, 2-0 and Endicott College, 3-1 this past weekend, the Western Connecticut State University women's soccer team has advanced to the Sectionals of the 2007 NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship at Williams College on Saturday and Sunday, November 17 and 18.  The Ephs will host the sectionals at Cole Field in Williamstown, Mass. this weekend. 

WestConn, 19-2-1 will face Worcester State College (16-5-0) at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, shortly after Hamilton College (16-5-0) takes on the host Williams College (17-0-0) at 11 a.m. The winners of Saturday's matches will meet on Sunday at 1 p.m.  If weather conditions become an issue, Williams has the luxury of moving the games to an artificial surface, Lamb Field.

The Colonials defeated the Lancers, 2-0 back on October 10 behind two goals from senior forward Kim Crayco (Bolton, CT). She netted a goal in each victory over the Profs and Endicott this past weekend and is now second on the team with 14 goals and 29 points.

WestConn, winners of 15 of its last 16 games, dropped a 4-0 decision to Williams College on September 18, but immediately went on a stretch over 1,033 minutes without allowing a goal.  It has never faced Hamilton College since the program began in 1994.

This fall marks the first time WestConn has won two games in a single NCAA Tournament and advanced to its third round. The Colonials advanced to the Round of 16 back in 2001 when only 32 teams were invited to the NCAAs.  They have now appeared in the second round of the NCAAs five times, 2000, 2001, and the past three campaigns.  On November 3rd, WestConn won the Little East Conference Tournament with a 2-1 victory over Eastern Connecticut State University to earn an automatic berth into its seventh NCAA Tournament (1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006 and 2007). 

Junior forward Catherine Nathans (New Fairfield, CT) leads WestConn and LEC with 16 goals and seven assist for 39 points.  She scored two goals in Sunday's win over the Gulls.  Jessica Sperlazza (Wallingford, CT) netted an insurance goal against the Profs to round out the scoring in the first and second rounds.

LEC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, sophomore midfielder Cassie Barbaresi (Bridgeport, CT) has seven goals and a team and LEC-high 14 assists on the year.  She assisted on all three goals in Sunday's victory over Endicott.  In the LEC Tournament, Barbaresi scored both goals in the LEC championship and assisted the game-tying goal with 2:02 remaining in the Colonials' double-overtime semi-final win over Rhode Island College.  Eleven of Barbaresi's 14 assists have come in WestConn's last 12 games, a stretch in which it is 11-1.

Defensively, senior keeper Jenna Cappellieri (Stratford, CT) has a minuscule 0.53 goals-against-average and has made 88 saves in 22 outings.  She has 10 of the team's 15 shut outs, including the blanking of the Profs on Saturday. Shannon Cawley (Willimantic, CT) has appeared in five games and has allowed two goals over a stretch of 113 minutes.

The defense is bolstered by Caitlin Boyle (Brookfield, CT), Lindy Winchell (Wethersfield, CT), Amanda Genova (New Milford, CT) and Heather Garrity (Rocky Hill, CT) in the back third.  WestConn has out shot its opponents 526-228 and have allowed just 99 shots on goal.

TICKETS WILL BE:  $6 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and students, $2 for children 3 and under.

DANBURY, CT (November 11, 2007) – Catherine Nathans (New Fairfield, CT) scored her 15th and 16th goals of the season as the Western Connecticut State University women’s soccer team advanced to Sectionals of the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championships with a 3-1 victory over Endicott College Sunday afternoon at the Westside Athletic Complex at Western Connecticut State University.
     The Colonials, 19-2-1, will face Worcester State College which defeated Union College, 2-1 in its second round match, played at William Smith College in upstate New York on Sunday afternoon. The site of the sectionals will be determined on Monday morning. It is WestConn’s first trip beyond the second round. It advanced to the Round of 16 in 2001, when only 32 teams were invited to the NCAA Tournament. It has advanced to the second round five times in program history.
     Kim Crayco (Bolton, CT) put the Colonials up, 1-0 with her 14th goal of the season in the 12th minute. She collected a pass from Cassie Barbaresi (Bridgeport, CT) on the left side of the box and beat Endicott keeper Amy Meuse (Saugus, MA) low and to her left. It was Barbaresi’s 12th assist of the season.
     Nine minutes later, Nathans gave the Colonials a 2-0 lead when she finished off a perfectly-placed corner kick in the middle of the box from Barbaresi.
     Nathans netted her second goal of the season in the 64th minute when she collected a carom off the cross bar from Barbaresi’s 40-yard shot.
     Endicott got on the scoreboard in the 88th minute when Paula McGinn (Lynn, MA) registered her ninth goal of the season. She collected a direct kick from Sarah Miller (Nashua, NH) that came from 30 yards away.
     In goal for WestConn, Jenna Cappellieri (Stratford, CT) made four saves before yielding to Shannon Cawley (Willimantic, CT) for the final seven minutes. Cawley made one save for the Colonials.
     Muese made 12 saves for the Gulls, which end their season at 17-6.
     On the day, WestConn narrowly outshot Endicott, 29-21, but had a 15-6 advantage on shot on goal.

TOURNAMENT NOTE:    Back on October 10, the Colonials defeated Worcester State, 2-0 behind two goals from Crayco.
 

 Endicott College (17-6) vs. Western Connecticut (19-2-1)
 Date: Nov 11, 2007  Attendance: 250
 Weather: Sunny, windy and cold

 Goals by period	1	2	Tot
 Endicott College	0	1	1
 Western Connecticut	2	1	3

 SCORING SUMMARY:
 1	11:38	WCSUWS	Kim Crayco (14) (Cassie Barbaresi)
 2	24:31	WCSUWS	Catherine Nathans (15) (Cassie Barbaresi)
 3	63:36	WCSUWS	Catherine Nathans (16) (Cassie Barbaresi)
 4	87:40	EC	Paula McGinn (9) (Sarah Miller)

 Shots: Endicott College 21, Western Connecticut 29
 Saves: Endicott College 12 (Amy Meuse 12), Western Connecticut 5
 (Shannon Cawley 1; Jenna Cappellieri 4)
 2007 Division III Women's Soccer Tournament Second Round

DANBURY, CT (November 10, 2007) – The Western Connecticut State University women’s soccer team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championships following its 2-0 victory over Rowan University Saturday afternoon at the Westside Athletic Complex.
     The Colonials, 18-2-1, will face Endicott College which defeated Oneonta State College, 2-1 in the other first round match, on Sunday at 1 p.m. It will the WestConn’s third-straight year of advancing into the second round. It has now advanced to the second round five times in program history.
     Kim Crayco (Bolton, CT) got the Colonials on the scoreboard with her 13th goal of the season in the 42nd minute. She made a moved 25 yards out and her shot deflected off the back of Rowan defender Megan Bry (Gibbsboro, NJ) and over the head of keeper Melissa Hall (Succasunna, NJ).
     Rowan’s leading scorer Michelle Carrocino (Mickleton, NJ) had a solid chance of knotting the game with 23 minutes remaining when but her left-footed blast inside the box went just wide of the goal.
     In the 82nd minute, Jessica Sperlazza (Wallingford, CT) put WestConn up 2-0 when she lofted a shot from the right side of the box into the top left corner of the goal. The unassisted goal was her second marker of the season.
     Today’s game marked the 15th time the Colonials’ defense has shut out an opponent. Midway through the season, they had a string of over 1,033 minutes that they held their opponent’s scoreless.
     In goal for WestConn, Jenna Cappellieri (Stratford, CT) earned her 10th shut out of the season after making four saves.
     Hall turned away 12 shots for the Profs which finish their season at 14-5.
 

Soccer Game Summary (Final)
2007 NCAA DIVISION III Women's Soccer Statistics

Rowan University (14-5) vs. Western Connecticut (18-2-1)
Date: Nov 10, 2007 Attendance: 200
Weather: Sunny and cold NNW 10 mph

Goals by period 	1 	2 	Tot
Rowan University 	0 	0 	0
Western Connecticut 	1 	1 	2

SCORING SUMMARY:
1 17:00 WCSUWS Kim Crayco (13) (unassisted)
2 81:29 WCSUWS Jessica Sperlazza (2) (unassisted)

Shots: Rowan University 11, Western Connecticut 25
Saves: Rowan University 12 (Melissa Hall 12), Western Connecticut 4
(Jenna Cappellieri 4)

2007 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship
FIRST ROUND
 

DANBURY, CT (November 10, 2007) – The Endicott College women’s soccer team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championships following its 2-1 victory over Oneonta State College Saturday afternoon at the Westside Athletic Complex on the campus of Western Connecticut State University.
     The Gulls, 17-5 will face the Colonials, which defeated Rowan University, 2-0 earlier on Saturday, in the second round at The WAC on Sunday at 1 p.m. The winner of Sunday’s tilt will advance to the Sectionals, next weekend at a site to be determined.
     Endicott took a 1-0 lead when Margreta Weber (Bedford, NH) capped off a barrage of Gulls’ shot attempts with her third goal of the season. Weber was left alone on the right side of the box and booted the loose ball into the back right corner of goal. An initial shot by Erica Hunt (Colchester, VT) deflected off Oneonta keeper, Jeannine Marra (Thiells, CT) and directly back to Weber.
     The Gulls went up 2-0 in the 64th minute when Paula McGinn (Lynn, MA) connected for her eight goal of the season. McGinn collected Sarah Miller’s (Nashua, NH) initial shot that caromed off the crossbar and buried it into the back of the net.
     Oneonta drew within a goal when Mary Velan (Stamford, NY) scored her 19th goal of the season of an assist from Lindsey Brechbiel (Garnerville, NY).         Brechbiel’s shot deflected off Endicott keeper Amy Meuse (Saugus, MA) directly onto the foot of Velan.
     The Gulls, 17-5, received an outstanding performance in goal by Meuse. She made nine saves and came off the line several times in the second half to thwart numerous scoring chances by the Red Dragons.
     Jeannine Marra (Thiells, CT) made six stops for the Red Dragons, which end their season at 17-4-1.

Game Two:

                          Soccer Game Summary (Final)
                    2007 WestConn Women's Soccer Statistics
       Endicott College vs Oneonta State (Nov 10, 2007 at Danbury, Conn.)

 Endicott College (17-5-0) vs. Oneonta State (17-4-1)
 Date: Nov 10, 2007  Attendance: 100
 Weather:

 Goals by period	1	2	Tot
 Endicott College	0	2	2
 Oneonta State		0	1	1
 

 SCORING SUMMARY:
 1	47:04	EC	Margreta Weber (6) (unassisted)
 2	63:07	EC	Paula McGinn (8) (Sarah Miller) 
 3	65:24	ONEWS	Mary Velan (19) (Lindsey Brechbiel)

 Shots: Endicott College 16, Oneonta State 19
 Saves: Endicott College 9 (Amy Meuse 9), Oneonta State 6 (Jeannine
 Marra 6)
 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championships
 First Round

WESTCONN WOMEN'S SOCCER TO HOST FIRST AND SECOND ROUNDS OF NCAA DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT THIS WEEKEND

DANBURY, CONN. - (Nov. 4, 2007) - The NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Committee announced the field of 60 teams for the 2007 NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship today and Western Connecticut State University was selected to host the first and second rounds at The Westside Athletic Complex on Saturday and Sunday, November 10 and 11.  (2007 NCAA BRACKET)

WestConn, 17-2-1 and recently crowned Little East Conference Champions will face Rowan University (14-4-0) at 11 a.m. on Saturday, while Endicott College (16-5-0) will take on SUNY Oneonta (17-3-1) 40 minutes following the first game, or approximately at 1:30 p.m. The winners of the first round meetings will meet on Sunday at 1 p.m. at The WAC, to see who moves on to the Sectionals the following weekend.

The Colonials won the Little East Conference Tournament this past Saturday with a 2-1 victory over Eastern Connecticut State University  to earn an automatic berth into their seventh NCAA Tournament (1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2006).

Junior forward Catherine Nathans (New Fairfield, CT) leads the team and Little East Conference with 14 goals and seven assist for 35 points.  Nathans is followed by Kim Crayco (Bolton, CT) who has 12 goals and one assist for 25 points in her final campaign.  LEC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, sophomore midfielder Cassie Barbaresi (Bridgeport, CT) has seven goals an a team and LEC -high 11 assists on the year.  In last week's LEC Tournament, Barbaresi scored both goals in Saturday's championship and assisted on the game-tying goal with 2:02 remaining in the Colonials' double-overtime sei-final win over Rhode Island College on Thursday.

Defensively, senior keeper Jenna Cappellieri (Stratford, CT) has a 0.59 goals against average and has made 80 saves in 20 outings.  She has nine of the team's 14 shut outs. Shannon Cawley (Willimantic, CT) has appeared in five games and has allowed one goal over a stretch of 105 minutes.

The defense is bolstered by Caitlin Boyle (Brookfield, CT), Lindy Winchell (Wethersfield, CT), Amanda Genova (New Milford, CT) and Heather Garrity (Rocky Hill, CT) in the back third.  WestConn has out shot its opponents 472-196 and have allowed just 89 shots on goal.

Ticket prices are set at:  $6 for general admission; $4 for all students with validated identification, senior citizens and children 3-12 years of age. 

NO COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS will be made available for the two sessions.

The national tournament continues with the sectionals, Friday-Saturday, November 16-17 or Saturday-Sunday, November 17-18. The semifinals and final are slated for Friday, November 23 and Saturday, November 24 at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, FL.
 

NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Committee selects Championship Field...
Nov. 4, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS --- The NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Committee announced today the field of 60 teams for the 2007 NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship.

Thirty-eight conferences were awarded automatic qualification for the 2007 championship. Four teams were selected from Pool B, which consists of independent institutions, and institutions that are members of conferences that do not meet the requirements for automatic qualification. The final 18 berths were reserved for Pool C, which are institutions from automatic-qualifying conferences that are not the conference champion and any remaining Pool B teams.

Four teams will receive first-round byes. Four two-team first-round matches will be played to determine the teams that advance to the second round to play the four teams that received a first-round bye. Twelve four-team sites will conduct first- and second-round play on the first weekend of the championship, November 9-10 or 10-11. Second-round winners will advance to one of four sectional sites November 16-17 or 17-18. All games, except the semifinals and final, will be played on the campuses of competing institutions. Winners of the four sectionals will advance to the semifinals November 23-24 at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Conferences and Teams Receiving Automatic Qualification:

Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference: Penn State-Behrend
American Southwest Conference: Hardin-Simmons
Capital Athletic Conference: York (Pennsylvania)
Centennial Conference: Johns Hopkins
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin: Wheaton (Illinois)
Commonwealth Conference: Messiah
Commonwealth Coast Conference: Endicott
Empire 8: Ithaca
Freedom Conference: Manhattanville
Great Northeast Athletic Conference: Emmanuel
Great South: Maryville (Tennessee)
Heartland College Athletic Conference: Rose-Hulman
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Wartburg
Liberty League: William Smith
Little East Conference: Western Connecticut State
Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference: Worcester State
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association: Calvin
Midwest Conference: Carroll (Wisconsin)
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Concordia-Moorhead
New England Small College Athletic Conference: Williams
New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference: Wheaton (Massachusetts)
New Jersey Athletic Conference: The College of New Jersey
North Atlantic Conference: Husson
North Coast Athletic Conference: Wittenberg
North Eastern Athletic Conference: Baptist Bible (Pennsylvania)
Northwest Conference: Puget Sound
Ohio Athletic Conference: Capital
Old Dominion Athletic Conference: Lynchburg
Pennsylvania Athletic Conference: Eastern
Presidents’Athletic Conference: Westminster (Pennsylvania)
St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Webster
Skyline Conference: Farmingdale State
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Cal Lutheran
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference: Trinity (Texas)
State University of New York Athletic Conference: Oneonta State
University Athletic Association: Washington U. in St. Louis
USA South Athletic Conference: Methodist
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Association: Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Pool B Berths (4):
Aurora
UC Santa Cruz
Moravian
St. Scholastica

Pool C Berths (18):
Bowdoin
Carthage
Chicago
Denison
Elizabethtown
Emory
Hamilton
Richard Stockton
Roanoke
Rowan
Salisbury
Springfield
St. Benedict
Tufts
Union (New York)
Virginia Wesleyan
Whitworth
Wisconsin-Stevens Point

In last year’s finals, Wheaton (Illinois) defeated TCNJ by a score of 2-0, to win the championship. A complete bracket with dates, sites and pairings will be released at approximately 9 a.m. Eastern time, Monday, November 5 on www.ncaasports.com.

CASSIE BARBARESI SCORES TWICE TO LEAD WESTCONN
TO LITTLE EAST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
Barbaresi named Most Outstanding Player in 2-1 win over Eastern Connecticut

DANBURY, CT (Nov. 3, 2007) -  Cassie Barbaresi (Bridgeport, CT) scored two goals in the second half to lift Western Connecticut State University to a 2-1 victory over Eastern Connecticut State University in the Little East Conference Tournament Saturday night at the Westside Athletic Complex.  Barbaresi was named the Most Outstanding Player for the Tournament after scoring two goals tonight and assisting on the Colonials' game-tying goal with 2:02 remaining in regulation in Thursday night's 2-1 double-overtime win against Rhode Island College in the semifinals.
                The Colonials, 17-2-1 and winners of their seventh LEC title, earns the automatic berth in the NCAA Division III National Championships which are slated to begin on Wednesday, November 7.  It will be WestConn's seventh appearance in the NCAA Tournament.  WestConn has appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006 and now 2007.  It has advanced to the second round of the NCAAs in each of the last two visits as well as in 2000.
                After a scoreless first half, Barbaresi put the Colonials up 1-0 just 17 seconds into the second stanza when she dribble around the Warriors' defense and loft the ball over the head of ECSU keeper Megan Gloster (Agawam, MA).  It was her sixth goal of the season.
                In the 64th minute, Barbaresi, a transfer from the Naval Academy, netted her seventh goal of the season.  This time, she picked up a loss ball 25-yards out and beat Gloster with a low blast.
                Eastern Connecticut, 11-6-2, drew within a goal when Sarah Swann (Oxford, CT) deflected a clear by the WestConn defense directly into the back of the net.  From eight yards away, the clearing kick caromed off Swann and by Colonials' keeper Jenna Cappellieri (Stratford, CT).
                Cappellieri finished the night with 14 saves.
                Gloster turned away eight shot for the Warriors.

 Eastern Connecticut (11-6-2) vs. Western Connecticut (17-2-1)
 Date: Nov 03, 2007  Attendance: 325
 Weather: windy and cold

 Goals by period       1  2  Tot
 -------------------------------
 Eastern Connecticut.  0  1 -  1
 Western Connecticut.  0  2 -  2

 SCORING SUMMARY:
  1.  45:17 WCSUWS Cassie Barbaresi (6) (unassisted) - Break away
  2.  63:08 WCSUWS Cassie Barbaresi (7) (unassisted) - 25 yards out - beat goalie low right.
  3.  79:15 ECSUWS Sarah Swann (8) (unassisted)

 Shots: Eastern Connecticut 23, Western Connecticut 24
 Saves: Eastern Connecticut 8 (Megan Gloster 8), Western Connecticut 14
 (Jenna Cappellieri 14)
 Little East Conference Tournament
 Championship Game
 Most Outstanding Player - Cassie Barbaresi

NCAA Rankings  National  Women Division III  National Poll  - October 30, 2007 

DANBURY, CT (Nov. 1, 2007) - Kim Crayco (Bolton, CT) scored the game-winning goal with 3:44 remaining in the second overtime to lift Western Connecticut State University to a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Rhode Island College in the semifinals of the Little East Conference Women's Soccer Tournament Thursday night at the Westside Athletic Complex.
    Crayco's goal, her 12th of the season, came following a pass from Jessica Sperlazza (Wallingford, CT) who had penetrated to the baseline before passing the ball back to Crayco who was left open in the center of the goal mouth.
     The Colonials, 16-2-1, will host Eastern Connecticut State University, which defeated Keene State College, 1-0 in overtime earlier on Thursday, for the Little East Conference Championship this Saturday, November 3 at The WAC at 6 p.m.
     WestConn took a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute when Catherine Nathans (New Fairfield, CT) drilled home her team-leading 14th goal of the season. Nathans broke free from 30 yards out following a lead pass from Jennifer Duran (Uncasville, CT) at midfield.
     Rhode Island College, 10-9-1, drew even at the 54 minute mark when Chelsea Creamer (Coventry, RI) drove down the left side of the field and broke free for her second marker of the season. She received a pass from Krista MacKinnon (Exeter, RI) from just outside the box.
     The Anchorwomen went ahead in the 74th minute when Gina Calenda (Warren, RI) tallied an unassisted goal after breaking down the WestConn defense on the right side of the box. It was her fifth goal of the season.
     With 2:02 remaining in regulation, defender Caitlin Boyle (Southbury, CT) knotted the game at 2-2 when she connected for her second goal of the season following a corner kick by midfielder Cassie Barbaresi (Bridgeport, CT). It was Barbaresi's team-leading 11th assist of the season. She now has at least one assist in six of the Colonials' last eight contests.
     Jenna Cappellieri (Stratford, CT) made two saves for the Colonials, which allowed nine Rhode Island College shots on the night.
     Maddie Pirri (Bristol, RI) made six saves for the Anchorwomen.
     Saturday's championship match up will be the fifth time in LEC Tournament history that the #1seed has faced the #2 seed for the title. The winner also earns an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III national championships. The Colonials have won the LEC title four times including a 4-2 triumph over Keene State College a year ago. The Warriors have won two LEC crowns, the most recent coming in 2005, a 2-0 decision, also over the Owls.
     WestConn and ECSU have faced each other three other times in the LEC Tournament. All three semi-final round match ups went into at least one overtime session. In 1999, the Colonials prevailed, 1-0 in the first overtime. In 2002, they advanced to the championship game after defeating the Warriors, 4-1 in penalty kicks. In 2004, Eastern Connecticut edged the Colonials, 5-4 in penalty kicks after drawing, 1-1 after two extra frames.
 

  Soccer Game Summary (Final)
  2007 WestConn Women's Soccer Statistics
  Rhode Island College vs Western Connecticut (Nov 01, 2007 at Danbury, Conn.)

 Rhode Island College (10-9-1) vs. Western Connecticut (16-2-1)
 Date: Nov 01, 2007  Attendance: 150

 Goals by period	1	2	OT	O2	Tot
 Rhode Island College	0	2	0	0	2
 Western Connecticut	1	1	0	1	3
 

 SCORING SUMMARY:
 1	37:25	WCSUWS	Catherine Nathans (14) (Jennifer Duran)
 2	54:00	RICWS	Chelsea Creamer (2) (Krista MacKinnon)
 3	73:24	RICWS	Gina Calenda (5) (unassisted)
 4	87:58	WCSUWS	Caitlin Boyle (2) (Cassie Barbaresi)
 5	106:16	WCSUWS	Kim Crayco (12) (Jessica Sperlazza) - Golden Goal

 Shots: Rhode Island College 9, Western Connecticut 23
 Saves: Rhode Island College 6 (Maddie Pirri 6), Western Connecticut 2
 (Jenna Cappellieri 2)
 Little East Conference Semifinals
 WestConn will face Eastern Connecticut for championship
 Saturday - Nov. 3 at The WAC at 6 p.m.

WestConn Women's Soccer To Host Little East Conference Championship

DANBURY, CT - (October 29, 2007) The WestConn women's soccer team finished the regular season in familiar territory… atop the Little East Conference and remains among the elite programs in the nation. 
          Despite last Saturday's 3-2 loss to Keene State College at the Westside Athletic Complex, the Colonials, 15-2-1 overall, were crowned Little East Conference regular-season champions with a 6-1 mark. 
          For the second time in program history, WestConn will host the LEC Semifinals at The WAC on Thursday, November 1 at 6 p.m.  If it wins, it will host the LEC Championship game on Saturday, November 3, also at 6 p.m.
          The Colonials will face the winner of Tuesday's first round game between #5 Plymouth State University and #4 Rhode Island College.  Second ranked Eastern Connecticut State University, which also receives a first-round bye, will face the winner of the #6 University of Southern Maine and #3 Keene State College match in Willimantic, Conn. on Thursday at 3 p.m. 
          The winner of the LEC Tournament earns an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
          WestConn won the LEC regular season and Tournament a year ago and advanced to its sixth NCAA Tournament.  It also made NCAA appearances in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2005.
          In 2001, 2005 and last fall, the Colonials advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
          Back in 1997, WestConn won its first of five LEC Championships and also appeared in its first of six NCAA Division III Tournaments.             
          The Colonials are currently ranked 16th in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division III Women's Soccer national poll.  A new poll will be released on Tuesday, October 30.  Besides the season-ending loss to Keene State College last Saturday, the only blemishes on the WestConn's slate came back on September 18, a 4-0 loss to #6 Williams College and a 0-0 double-overtime tie with #7 Wheaton College (MA) back on September 8. 
          The 2007 version of WestConn Women's Soccer has enjoyed a fine mix of one of the stingiest defenses in the country and a potent offense.  The Colonials have allowed just nine goals in 18 games and have scored 55.
          Defensively, senior goal keeper Jenna Cappellieri (Stratford, CT) has registered a league-high nine shut outs and a 0.48 goals-against average while the team has blanked its opponents 14 times.  The Colonials had a string of over 1,033 scoreless minutes snapped when the Owls netted the first of three goals on Saturday in the seventh minute of play.
          The Colonials' defense stretches far outside the 18-yard box patrolled by the net minders.  Seniors Caitlin Boyle (Southbury, CT), Lindy Winchell (Bethel, CT), junior Heather Garrity (Rocky Hill, CT) and sophomore Central Connecticut State University transfer Amanda Genova (New Milford, CT) have been virtually insoluble.  Many of the team's 14 shut outs result from the ball never reaching the keepers.  On 11 occasions, the WestConn defense has allowed eight or fewer shots at goal and recorded shut outs in each victory. 

          Junior Catherine Nathans (New Fairfield, CT) leads the team and the Little East Conference with 13 goals and 33 total points (two points are awarded for a goal and one point for an assist - she has seven assists).   Kim Crayco (Bolton, CT) follows with 11 goals and 23 points.  She is second in the LEC with 11 markers.  Cassie Barbaresi (Bridgeport, CT), a transfer from the Naval Academy, has five goals, a team-high 10 assists for 20 points.

Women's Soccer Championships

First Round: October 30, 2007

Game 1: No. 6 University of Southern Maine at No. 3 Keene State College  KSC wins
Game 2: No. 5 Plymouth State University at No. 4 Rhode Island College  RIC wins 3-2

Semifinals: November 1, 2007

Game 3: No. 4 Rhode Island College at No. 1 Western Connecticut State University,   WCSU wins 3-2 2OT
Game 4: No. 3 Keene State at No. 2 Eastern Connecticut State University, ECSU wins 1-0  OT

Championship: November 3, 2007

Game 5: Western Connecticut (16-2-1) vs. Eastern Connecticut (11-5-2)
(at WestConn, 6 p.m.)

Little East Conference champion receives automatic berth into NCAA Tournament

Admission:  $5 for adults;  $3 children 12 and under and senior citizens; 
Students from participating school with valid ID - FREE

KEENE STATE UPSETS WESTCONN IN REGULAR-SEASON FINALE, 3-2

DANBURY, CT (Oct. 27, 2007) - Renee Halsey (Francestown, NH) scored the game-winning goal with 12:30 remaining in regulation to lift Keene State College to a 3-2 victory over 16th ranked Western Connecticut State University in women's soccer action Saturday night at the Westside Athletic Complex.
     The Owls, 11-7-1 overall and 5-2 in the Little East Conference, ended the Colonials 11-game win streak and also brought to a close a string of over 1,033 minutes of WestConn not allowing a goal.
     Kathleen Keniston put Keene State up 1-0 with a goal at the 6:30 mark. She deflected a direct kick taken by Kendra Spencer by WestConn keeper Jenna Cappellieri (Stratford, CT).
     WestConn countered exactly one minute later when Kim Crayco (Bolton, CT) scored the first of her two goals on the night. Her first tally came off a long pass from Angela Wozniak (Ludlow, MA) and freed her for a break-away goal.
     In the 13th minute Crayco gave the Colonials a 2-1 advantage when she headed home a crossing pass from Molly Desjarlais (North Windham, CT). It was Crayco's 11th goal of the season.
     Keene State knotted the game at 2-2 when Ally Beadle (East Hartford, CT) was left wide open on the left side following a pass from Kathleen Keniston (Minneapolis, MN). It was Beadle's second marker of the season.
     Owls' keeper Samantha Hirsh (Holliston, MA) withstood a barrage of shot in the closing minutes and finished with nine saves on the night.
     Cappellieri made six saves in net for the Colonials.
     WestConn out-shot the Owls, 25-14.
     The Colonials, now 15-2-1 overall and LEC Regular-Season Champions despite the loss at 6-1, are currently ranked 16th in the nation in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III Poll, released on Tuesday.
     Keene State will have to wait until Sunday afternoon to see if tonight's win vaulted it into second place in the LEC. If Eastern Connecticut were to lose to UMass Dartmouth on Sunday, Oct. 28, the Owls would earn the second seed and the other LEC first-round tournament bye.
     On Thursday, November 1, WestConn will host the semifinals of the Little East Conference Tournament. It will face the winner of the #4 seed versus #5 seed game that will be played on Tuesday, October 30 at The WAC at 6 p.m. All Tournament pairing will be announced on Sunday.

                          Soccer Game Summary (Final)
                    2007 WestConn Women's Soccer Statistics
      Keene State vs Western Connecticut (Oct 27, 2007 at Danbury, Conn.)

 Keene State (11-7-1, 5-2 LEC) vs. Western Connecticut (15-2-1, 6-1 LEC)
 Date: Oct 27, 2007  Attendance: 221
 Weather: overcast and windy

 Goals by period	1	2	Tot
 Keene State		1	2	3
 Western Connecticut	2	0	2
 

 SCORING SUMMARY:
 1	6:30	KSC	Kathleen Keniston (Kendra Spencer) - off direct kick
 2	7:30	WCSUWS	Kim Crayco (10) (Angela Wozniak) - break away
 3	12:21	WCSUWS	Kim Crayco (11) (Molly Desjarlais) - header off pass from right corner
 4	57:45	KSC	Ally Beadle (2) (Kathleen Keniston) - open on left side
 5	77:30	KSC	Renee Halsey (6) (Katelin Waltz) - break away

 Shots: Keene State 14, Western Connecticut 25
 Saves: Keene State 9 (Samantha Hirsh 9), Western Connecticut 6 (Jenna
 Cappellieri 6)

WESTCONN WOMEN'S SOCCER CLINCHES LITTLE EAST REGULAR-SEASON TITLE

DANBURY, CONN. - (Oct. 22, 2007) - The Western Connecticut State University clinched the 2007 Little East Conference regular-season title following its 4-0 victory at University of Southern Maine this past Saturday.  It is the Colonials' seventh LEC regular-season crown.

The regular-season title brings along with it the number one seed in the upcoming LEC Tournament, which begins on Tuesday, October 30.  WestConn, along with the #2 seed, which Eastern Connecticut State University, Keene State College and Rhode Island College are currently tied for, earns a first-round bye.  The Colonials will host the winner of the #5 versus #4 first-round game in the semifinals on Thursday, November 1 at The WAC.  The two semifinal winners will face off for the Tournament title on Saturday, November 3 at the higher remaining seed's pitch.

"This is a wonderful testament to our season and how hard these ladies have played this year," said 11-year coach Joe Mingachos.  "The Little East Conference has been one of the strongest conferences year after year and for us to capture another title is a great accomplishment, but hopefully there is a lot more soccer ahead of us."

The winner of the LEC Tournament earns an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III National Championships which are slated to begin on Wednesday, November 7.  The Colonials have made six appearances in the NCAA Tournament (1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2006) since 1997 including back-to-back trips in 2005 and 2006.

The Colonials, 14-1-1 and ranked 16th in the latest adidas/NSCAA Division III Women's Soccer Poll, won the Little East Conference Regular-Season and Tournament titles last season have been crowned LEC Champions six times since 1997.   

After falling to sixth ranked Williams College, 4-0, back on September 18, WestConn has shut out 10 straight opponents during its 10-game win streak.  It has allowed just six goals all season.  Its tie, a 0-0 double-overtime final, came back on September 8 against seventh ranked Wheaton (MA) College.

Defensively, senior keeper Jenna Cappellieri (Stratford, CT) has a 0.34 goals-against average and has made 55 saves in 16 outings.  She has eight shut outs.  Shannon Cawley (Willimantic, CT) has appeared in five games and has allowed just one goal over a stretch of 106 minutes.

The defense is bolstered by Caitlin Boyle (Brookfield, CT), Amanda Genova (New Milford, CT), Lindy Winchell (Wethersfield, CT) and Heather Garrity (Rocky Hill, CT) in the back third.  WestConn has out shot its opponents 379-144 and have allowed just 58 shots on goal.

Offensively senior forward Catherine Nathans (New Fairfield, CT) leads the team with 12 goals, seven assist for 31 points.  Classmate Kim Crayco (Bolton, CT) follows with nine goals and one assist for 19 points.  Navy transfer Cassie Barbaresi (Bridgeport, CT) has come on offensively of late and has five goals, nine assists and 19 points as well.

WESTCONN WOMEN'S SOCCER STAYS AT 16TH IN THE NATION
 

NCAA Rankings  National  Women Division III  National Poll  - October 23, 2007 

DANBURY, CT (Oct. 24) - Junior Catherine Nathans (New Fairfield, CT) scored her team-leading 13th goal of the season in the game’s third minute as 16th ranked Western Connecticut State University women's soccer team posted a 2-0 victory over Stevens Institute of Technology Wednesday night at the Westside Athletic Complex. Nathan’s game-winner came off an assist from Cassie Barbaresi (Bridgeport, CT), who leads the Colonials with 10 assists for the season.

WestConn’s second goal of the game was scored in the game’s 76th minute when Amy Corchard (Monroe, CT) took a pass from Angela Wozniak (Ludlow, MA) and blasted a shot just above the turf and through the hands of the Stevens Tech goalie.

In goal for WestConn, Jenna Cappellieri (Stratford, CT) made three saves to preserve the shutout. The WestConn defense has now recorded 11 straight shutout victories. Cappellieri has seven shut outs during that string. During that span of victories WestConn has outscored their opponents by a combined score of 34-0.

Stevens Tech’s goalie, Jenn Pontier (Forked River, NJ), recorded 10 saves for the Ducks, but WestConn’s offense once again dominated the game’s action taking 21 shots, to six shots for Stevens Tech.

The Colonials, now 15-1-1, are currently ranked 16th in the nation in the latest National Soccer Coach's Association of America (NSCAA) Division III Poll, released on Tuesday.

The Ducks fall to 11-4-1 on the season.

WestConn’s final regular season match of the 2007 season is at home vs. Keene State in a Little East Conference game on Saturday, Oct. 27. Game time is slated for 6pm.
 

 Stevens Tech (11-4-1) vs. Western Connecticut (15-1-1)
 Date: Oct 24, 2007  Attendance: 100
 
 Goals by period       1  2  Tot
 -------------------------------
 Stevens Tech........  0  0 -  0
 Western Connecticut.  1  1 -  2
 

 SCORING SUMMARY:
  1.   3:24 WCSUWS Catherine Nathans (13) (Cassie Barbaresi)
  2.  76:46 WCSUWS Amy Corchard (5) (Angela Wozniak)

 Shots: Stevens Tech 6, Western Connecticut 21
 Saves: Stevens Tech 10 (Jenn Pontier 10), Western Connecticut 3 (Jenna
 Cappellieri 3)

GORHAM, Maine - (Oct. 20, 2007)- The nationally-ranked Western Connecticut State University Colonials women's soccer team received goals from four different players en route to a 4-0 victory over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference match Saturday afternoon at the USM Soccer Field.

The win was the 10th straight for the 16th-ranked Colonials who improved to 14-1-1 overall. The Colonials sit atop the LEC standings with a perfect 6-0-0  mark. The Huskies dropped their fourth consecutive match to slip to 6-9-0 overall and 2-4-0 in the conference. Each side has one conference game
remaining.

Western Connecticut jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first 13 minutes to establish a firm command. Junior Amy Corchard (Monroe, Conn.) scored the first
goal in the third minute when she headed in a corner kick taken by sophomore Cassie Barbaresi (Bridgeport, Conn.).

Junior Catherine Nathans (New Fairfield, Conn.) doubled the lead in the 10th minute knocking home a loose ball from six yards out. Senior Kim Crayco  (Bolton, Conn.) made it 3-0 in the 13th minute converting a cross from senior Molly Desjarlais (North Windham, Conn.).

Junior Victoria Capozziello (Fairfield, Conn.) tallied the final goal in the 86th minute booting home a corner kick taken by freshman Jennifer Duran
(Uncasville, Conn.).

The Colonials dominated the statistics, out shooting the Huskies 20-2 over the course of the match. The Colonials also had a 14-1 edge in corner kicks.
Southern Maine junior goalkeeper Mindy Morneault (Winterville, Maine/Fort Kent) played an outstanding match despite the score, making nine saves and  handling numerous crosses and corner kicks.. Senior Jenna Cappellieri (Stratford, Conn.) and junior Shannon Cawley (Willimantic, Conn.) split the  goalkeeping chores for the Colonials. Cappellieri played the first 80 minutes and registered one save. Cawley was not called upon to make a save over the
final 10 minutes.

Southern Maine travels to Bowdoin College on Tuesday (3:30 p.m.) for a non-conference match. Western Connecticut hosts Stevens Tech under the lights on  Wednesday (7:00 p.m.) in a non-conference match

 Western Connecticut (14-1-1; 6-0-0) vs. Southern Maine (6-9-0; 2-4-0)
 Date: Oct 20, 2007  Attendance: 125
 Weather: Mostly cloudy, 60s

 Goals by period       1  2  Tot
 -------------------------------
 Western Connecticut.  3  1 -  4
 Southern Maine......  0  0 -  0

 SCORING SUMMARY:
  1.   2:08 WCSUWS Amy Corchard (Cassie Barbaresi) - corner kick to header
  2.   9:27 WCSUWS Catherine Nathans (unassisted) - scramble in the box
  3.  12:54 WCSUWS Kim Crayco (Molly Desjarlais) - cross from right end line to foot
  4.  85:46 WCSUWS Victoria Capozziello (Jennifer Duran) - corner kick thru GK hands to foot

 Shots: Western Connecticut 20, Southern Maine 2
 Saves: Western Connecticut 1 (Jenna Cappellieri 1), Southern Maine 9
 (Mindy Morneault 9)

LITTLE EAST CONFERENCE
Co-Offensive Players of the Week: 10/15/07

Kim Crayco (Bolton, Conn.)
Senior, Forward , Western Connecticut

Crayco fueled the Western Connecticut attack with eight points, on four goals, as the Colonials raised their overall record to 11-1-1, including a 5-0 mark in the conference circuit. She scored a pair of goals against Worcester State and Little East Conference foe UMass Boston this past week, raising her season total to eight.
 

LITTLE EAST CONFERENCE
Defensive Player of the Week: 10/15/07

Jenna Cappellieri (Stratford, Conn.)
Senior, Goalkeeper, Western Connecticut

Cappellieri backstopped Western Connecticut to a pair of victories this past week, making five saves in 157 minutes, 35 seconds. The Stratford, Conn. netminder raised her current shutout streak to seven matches, holding the opposition scoreless over the past 690 minutes, 15 seconds.     

NCAA Rankings  National  Women Division III  National Poll  - October 16, 2007