Seniors Lead Women’s Soccer To ECAC Quarter-Final Victory
Framingham, Mass. – Framingham State senior Brini Varetimes (North Attleboro, Mass.) scored two goals, including the game winner in the ninety-ninth minute, to lead the fourth seed Rams to victory over the fifth seed Eastern Nazarene College Lions this evening in the quarterfinal of the 2014 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Women's Soccer Tournament at Maple Street Field.
The Rams had a pair of chances to score early in the first half. Senior Marisa Parent (Revere, Mass.) received a pass in the box with a clear path to the net, but her shot rolled wide. A few minutes later, sophomore Angela Pallotta (Sterling, Mass.) collected a loose ball that deflected off a Lion defender and blasted a shot the went just wide.
Eastern Nazarene's offense came alive late in the half with a pair of scoring chances, but it was not until the final 10 seconds of the half that they found the back of the net. The Lions had a direct kick near midfield that sailed into the box. The Rams keeper came off the line and knocked the kick away, but sophomore Katherine Lawrence (Marlborough, Mass.) gathered the loose ball and fired a shot into the empty next for the 1-0 lead with 10.6 left in the first half.
Freshman Molly Kelley (Medway, Mass.) had a chance to tie the game three minutes into the second when she took a direct kick on the left side, but her shot went high and slightly wide. Later in the half, Parent had another quality scoring opportunity after taking a thru ball behind the Lions defense, but her shot was off target.
The Rams tied the game in the waning minutes of regulation. Parent sent a cross from the left side into the box that senior Brini Varetimos headed into the corner with 3:08 remaining in regulation.
The Rams had their chances early in the overtime period, but it was not until the final minute when they would score the decisive goal. Senior Isabela DeSouza (Framingham, Mass.) sent a long cross through the Lions defense to Varitimos who laid a shot inside the far post.
The Rams advance to the semifinals of the ECAC Tournament and will face top seed Wheaton College who defeated eighth seed Johnson and Wales University 2-0 in another quarterfinal earlier this afternoon. The semi-final will be played Friday, November 14th at Framingham State with a 7 p.m. kickoff.