HENNIKER, N.H. – New England College graduate midfielder
Drea Chin (Laconia, N.H.) scored a sudden-victory game-winning goal with 5:41 remaining in double-overtime as NEC prevailed 2-1 over visiting Lasell University in the first round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tournament on Saturday afternoon at Don Melander Field in Henniker, New Hampshire. The Pilgrims, having claimed the number two seed in the GNAC playoffs with a 10-2 conference record and claiming the head-to-head tie-breaker against third-seeded Simmons University, advance to the conference semifinals for the second straight season, where they will host the Sharks this coming Wednesday evening at the Don.
THE BASICS
Score: #7 Lasell 1, #2 New England College 2
Records: Pilgrims 16-3, 10-2 GNAC | Lasers 10-9, 6-6 GNAC
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The 'Grims dominated possession in the opening quarter, posting several penalty corners and scoring opportunities. The Lasers of Lasell answered, however, as a stingy defense kept NEC off the board. The opening stanza concluded with the game still scoreless.
- Just 17.5 seconds before halftime in the second, Lasell picked up their first penalty corner of the day and their best chance to score up to that point as graduate defender Alessia Callahan (Glassboro, N.J.) took the Lasers' first shot on goal of the contest. But NEC junior goalkeeper Makenzie Anderson (Antrim, N.H.) was up to the challenge, picking up the save and sending both teams into halftime still tied at 0-0. The Pilgrims had an 8-1 advantage in penalty corners and a 7-1 edge in shots on goal for the first half.
- With 1:02 left in the third quarter, the Pilgrims were awarded yet another penalty corner. This time, NEC senior forward Meaghan McCamish (Warwick, R.I.), her team's leading scorer all season, would not be denied as she took a pass from junior midfielder Tatum Golis (New Hartford, N.Y.) and scored her 16th goal of the season with 51.3 remaining in the quarter to give her team a 1-0 lead going into the final frame.
- With 3:39 to go in the game, a breakdown in the otherwise stalwart NEC defense allowed Lasell junior midfielder Jacquelyn Scopa (Peabody, Mass.) to accept a forward pass and she found the goal for her seventh goal of the season, shocking the crowd at Don Melander and sending the game into overtime.
- With 5:45 remaining in the first overtime, a yellow card against Lasell gave NEC a golden opportunity on a five-minute penalty. Shot after shot by the Pilgrims came up just short of ending the contest, with some going just wide and others finding themselves stopped by a desperate Lasers defense. The visitors ultimately survived the penalty, and the game went into double-overtime.
- Now in double-overtime, the 'Grims continued to dominate possession and scoring chances, as they had for most of the game. Finally, with 5:41 left until a potential shootout, Chin, NEC's second all-time leader in career points who had been playing like a whirling dervish since regulation ended, took a short pass from junior forward Cristina Manzi (Peapack, N.J.) and – with two defenders and the goalie all converging on her - found the back of the net for the game-winner as the Pilgrims bench and fans exploded in celebration.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Anderson tallied one save on the day for the Pilgrims in picking up the win.
- Lasell senior goalkeeper Courtney Tello (Nashua, N.H.) put in a valiant effort in net with 14 saves on 16 stops for the Lasers.
- McCamish and Chin led the Pilgrims with five shots on goal for the afternoon. Total shots for the day were 16-2 in favor of the 'Grims.
UP NEXT
- NEC is back on the field on Wednesday when they host third-seeded Simmons University in the GNAC semifinals. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The Pilgrims beat the Sharks earlier this season, a 1-0 win at Don Melander on October 19th.
