QU Women’s Soccer Stuns Siena, Advances to MAAC Championship Game with 1-0 Semifinal Victory

Friday, November 4

Hesse Field on the Great Lawn - West Long Branch, NJ

8:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

12-6-1

Siena

9-7-3

Quinnipiac

Siena College

QU Women’s Soccer Stuns Siena, Advances to MAAC Championship Game with 1-0 Semifinal Victory

11/4/2016 11:30:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Al Pelletier Knocks in Game-Winning Goal; Bobcats Will Face Monmouth in MAAC Title Game on Sunday at 3 PM

By: QU Sports Information

WEST LONG BRANCH, New Jersey – As it turns out, a picture is indeed worth a thousand words. A second half tally from Al Pelletier (pictured above) sent shockwaves around the field and onto the Bobcat bench as the breakthrough proved enough to push No. 4 seed Quinnipiac past No. 2 Siena, 1-0, and into the MAAC Championship Game for the first time in program history.

The joys of excitement coursing through every member of the Quinnipiac women's soccer team was ominous on Friday night following the thrilling 1-0 victory over the defending conference champion Siena in the MAAC Semifinal round. The Bobcats, now armed with an overall record of 12-6-1 (tied for the third-most single-season wins in the program's Div. I history), move on to their first MAAC Championship Game against No. 1 Monmouth on Sunday at 3 PM. The game can be seen live on ESPN3.

After not recording a postseason win in 16 years, the Bobcats advance to a conference title game for the third time in program history but the first since Quinnipiac won the Northeast Conference back in 2000. A 16-year drought ended last Saturday in a 3-0 MAAC Quarterfinal win over No. 5 Canisius and the momentum carried over into Friday as the Bobcats began and ended play with a clear focus and game plan.

Facing the reigning MAAC Champs on a blistery cold night down in New Jersey, Quinnipiac was facing an uphill battle to start the match as the Saints came in with a championship pedigree while the Bobcats had struggled mightily in the all-time series with Siena. Having played one another eight times since 2009, Quinnipiac had gone 0-7-1 in the last eight games against the Saints and had been held to just one goal in that eight-game span.

Coming into Friday night not having scored a goal against the Saints in 276 straight minutes of play, the Bobcats relied heavily on a team defensive approach, allowing Siena to control possession while waiting to strike with a deadly counterattack. Positioning the forward line and midfielders in the Bobcats' defensive end of the field, Siena had difficulties finding passes and runs through the teeth of the defense.

Even though the shots weighed heavily in favor of the Saints at halftime (7-1), the score remained 0-0 and only one quality scoring chance came quickly just 1:40 into the match as Amber Alfonzo saw her shot from inside the box denied by the outstretched arms of the Bobcats' freshman goalkeeper Olivia Myszewski (Elm Grove, Wisconsin).

As the frustration continued to mount on the Siena side of the field, Quinnipiac began to find holes in the defense towards the end of the first half which carried over directly into the second half. Nadya Gill (Toronto, Ontario) nearly found the back of the net just 47 seconds into the second stanza as she touched to her dominant right foot and swung a curling shot headed for the left post but Siena's Taylor Dorado managed to track the looping shot in time to make the save.

Gill's shot signaled a shift in momentum and the ultimate breakthrough came minutes later as a foul 30 yards away from the net allowed Quinnipiac the chance to organize a quality scoring chance off the free kick. As she has done all season, Jess Cascio (Hebron, Connecticut) stepped up to take a line drive into a mess of players just outside the box. Jess Fontaine (Enfield, Connecticut) rose above them all to flick a header into the box. As Pelletier made her move on the ball, Dorado made a bold move to come off her line and gamble, much to the delight of the Bobcats. Pelletier used her elite speed to beat her defender and the Siena keeper to the ball and a flick from her right foot gave the ball enough momentum to cross the goal line and put the Bobcats ahead, 1-0, in the 48^th minute of play.

Following Pelletier's go-ahead tally and subsequent mob at the Bobcat bench, Siena's desperation was evident as the Saints attempted eight consecutive shots and 13 of the final 14 total shots attempted on the evening.

Even with the added pressure of holding onto the one-goal lead with an inexperienced squad, which had never advanced to the MAAC Tournament in a non-automatic qualifying season, Quinnipiac proved their mettle with a suffocating defensive performance down the stretch.

The lone quality scoring chance in the final stages came in the 87^th minute as Tara Sobierajski whipped in a corner kick that deflected at the near post across to the far side where the ball landed inches from a Siena player's foot. Other than that chance, the Bobcats limited Siena to harmless shots from distance before the clock ran out and sent the Quinnipiac sideline into hysterics.

A completely different game from the one fans saw in the regular season in which Siena defeated the Bobcats, 2-0, the team defensive approach for the Bobcats told the story. Quinnipiac has yet to concede a goal in the postseason as the Bobcats have kept a clean sheet in the Quarterfinal win over Canisius and the Semifinal victory over Siena.

Myszewski made five stops in net to preserve the shutout, the seventh for the Bobcats as a team on the season. Pelletier's goal was her fourth of the season while Fontaine notched her 11^th assist and Cascio chipped in with her first in 2016. Fontaine continues to move up the all-time list as she is now tied for fourth all-time at Quinnipiac with 22 career assists while her single-season total of 11 is tied for the most in the program's Div. I history.

The Bobcats' first appearance in the MAAC Championship comes against No. 1 seed Monmouth on Sunday at 3 PM from Hesse Field on the Great Lawn. Quinnipiac and Monmouth played to a thrilling 2-1 overtime decision which ended on a Rachelle Ross goal to send the Hawks past the Bobcats in West Long Branch.