Clutch Play Late Powers #3 QU Women’s Soccer Past #6 Rider in MAAC Quarterfinals, 3-1

Sunday, October 29

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex - Lake Buena Vista, FL

11:00 AM

Quinnipiac University

9-6-3, 5-2-3MAAC

Rider

5-10-3, 4-3-3MAAC

Rider

Quinnipiac

Clutch Play Late Powers #3 QU Women’s Soccer Past #6 Rider in MAAC Quarterfinals, 3-1

10/29/2017 2:41:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Bobcats Advance to MAAC Semifinals on Tuesday (2 PM) vs. #2 Manhattan on ESPN3

By: QU Athletic Communications

PHOTO GALLERY

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida – Deadlocked at 1-1, the Quinnipiac women's soccer team made the winning plays when they mattered most down the stretch to score a MAAC Quarterfinal victory over Rider, 3-1, from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The three-seeded Bobcats (9-6-3) advance to the MAAC Semifinals on Tuesday (2:00 PM) where they will meet the second-seed Manhattan on ESPN3.

The series of winning moments late started with Katrina Friedman (Syosset, New York) saving what would have been a go-ahead Rider goal off the line in the 74^th minute. Rider's Sam Picinich blasted a header past a sprawling Olivia Myszewski (Elm Grove, Wisconsin) in net but Friedman was in the right place at the right time as the junior defender knocked away the potential game-winner.

Denying Rider on one end, Friedman's save translated immediately on the other end as Laura Nicholas (Derry City, Northern Ireland) drew a foul just outside the box, setting up a Nadya Gill (Toronto, Ontario) free kick. Already with one goal on the day, Gill lined up her shot which made its way past heavy traffic in front of the net and eventually past a helpless Rider keeper who dove to her right expecting a deflection.

The ensuing Bobcat celebration was matched a mere four minutes later as Ally Grunstein (Warren, New Jersey) warded off a pair of Rider defenders and flicked on to Al Pelletier (Cheshire, Connecticut). Carrying in, Pelletier deked out her on-ball defender and followed with a great shot fake to force the Rider keeper into another helpless position as Pelletier's shot found the back of the net.

THAT WINNING FEELING. @QUWomensSoccer is heading to the MAAC Semifinals after a 3-1 victory over Rider. pic.twitter.com/rX0ktp5v2l
— Quinnipiac Athletics (@QUAthletics) October 29, 2017

??: SEMIFINALS BOUND: QU Defeats Rider, 3-1, to advance to MAAC Semifinalshttps://t.co/udtmIfVcWC
— QU Women's Soccer (@QUWomensSoccer) October 29, 2017

BOBCATS WIN! Al Pelletier(1) and Nadya Gill(2) combine to help the Bobcats advance to the MAAC Semifinals. They face Manhattan on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/xFsjaXtGvw
— QU Women's Soccer (@QUWomensSoccer) October 29, 2017

HIGHLIGHTS | Watch as @QUWomensSoccer makes the clutch plays down the stretch to defeat Rider, 3-1, in #MAACSoccer QFinals #3Wins pic.twitter.com/ZglWRJc0qg
— QU Women's Soccer (@QUWomensSoccer) October 29, 2017

SCORE
Quinnipiac 3 / Rider 1

LOCATION
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex / Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

RECORDS
Quinnipiac (9-6-3) / Rider (5-10-3)

SCORING SUMMARY

5:17 (QU 1, RID 0): Quinnipiac connected for a beautifully worked goal as Grunstein carried in and centered to Kylie Lance (Stow, Massachusetts) who passed to Gill waiting at the far post. With Rider's keeper challenging, Gill slotted her shot perfectly to the opposite post as the bang-bang-bang series of passes led to the early lead.
36:06 (QU 1, RID 1): After giving away a corner, Quinnipiac failed to clear the pass in and Cameron Santers was waiting 10 yards from the net as she blasted home the equalizer.
79:28 (QU 2, RID 1): Nicholas drew a foul carrying the ball up-field 20 yards from the box. Lining up the free kick, Gill slammed a ball low with her teammates running to flick a shot on. Madison Borowiec (Windsor, Connecticut) faked a shot and with the Rider keeper coming out and expecting a shot right, Borowiec's fake allowed the ball to stay on-line and find the back of the net at the far post.

NADYA GILL!!! 2-1 QU with just 11 min left pic.twitter.com/lSp8YZUsNn
— QU Women's Soccer (@QUWomensSoccer) October 29, 2017

83:22 (QU 3, RID 1): Grunstein won a challenge at midfield and dove in a pass that sprung Pelletier loose. Carrying in, Pelletier deked out one defender and faked a shot that allowed a wide open goal to seal the victory.

NOTES

Gill continues to move-up the Quinnipiac all-time record list as she now has 13 goals and eight assists on the season for 34 points which now ranks 10^th all-time in the program's single-season history
As far as career totals, Gill's two goals this afternoon gives her 30 for her three-year career as she currently ranks sixth on Quinnipiac's all-time record list while her 74 career points moves her into a tie for eighth all-time
Gill's two tallies this afternoon gives her three goals in four career MAAC Tournament games and makes her the first player in program history to record a multi-goal game in a MAAC Tournament contest
Pelletier, a 2016 MAAC All-Tournament selection, continues to make noise in postseason play as she notched her third goal in four career MAAC Tournament appearances
Pelletier also continued her impressive junior campaign as the forward is now second on the team in points (19) and goals (seven) while adding five assists (single-season career highs across the board)
Grunstein dished out two assists on the day, giving her five on the season and 13 points (four goals, five assists) as she notched her fourth career multi-assist game
Olivia Myszewski (Elm Grove, Wisconsin) wasn't asked to do much in the net but she still came away with five saves in 90 minutes of action
Myszewski has allowed just two goals over the last four games while she now holds a 0.77 goals-against average with 56 saves (5.1 per game) and 0.862 save percentage in 11 games (6-2-3 record) against MAAC competition this season
Myszewski has recorded at least five saves in 7-of-11 games while she also has allowed more than one goal just twice on the season in games against MAAC foes
Quinnipiac advances to the MAAC Semifinals for a second consecutive season
After 15 straight seasons without a conference postseason victory, Quinnipiac is 3-1 in MAAC Tournament play over the last two seasons
Quinnipiac also knocks off Rider for the first time since 2013 as the Bobcats came in with a four-game winless streak (0-3-1) against the Broncs
This victory also marks the first conference postseason win at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for the Bobcats, who previously lost in the first round to Manhattan (1-0) in 2013

UPCOMING GAME
Quinnipiac heads into a MAAC Semifinal matchup against the second-seeded Manhattan Jaspers (9-6-3) on Tuesday at 2:00 PM in a game that can be seen on ESPN3. The two sides met just two weeks ago with the game ending in a 1-1 draw in Hamden.