LAROCHE, SAINTS DEFEAT FALCONS IN PKS, ADVANCE TO GNAC SEMIS

BOSTON, Mass. - Emmanuel College Women's Soccer goalkeeper Tori LaRoche saved two penalty kicks and scored the game-winner in the fifth round of the shootout to lift the Saints to a 0-0 (3-2 PK) victory over Albertus Magnus in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) quarterfinals on Saturday afternoon at Clemente Field.

In a game that belonged to the goalkeepers from the opening minutes, LaRoche proved to be the difference-maker for the Saints once again, stopping two penalties and then scoring in the fifth and final round to earn the victory.

Neither team had a shot on goal in the opening 24 minutes, as players on both sides settled into the flow of the match. Each goalkeeper made three saves in the following 21 minutes, sending the game to halftime in a scoreless draw.

The Saints dominated the second half, outshooting Albertus Magnus 12-2 and putting five shots on goal compared to one by the Falcons.

Emmanuel opened the half by putting five shots towards the AMC goal in the opening seven minutes, but Falcons goalkeeper Maria Case was able to stand her ground.

Perhaps the best chance of regulation came with 22 minutes left when senior captain Katelyn Fink drilled a shot from outside of the 18-yard box and forced Case to leap towards the upper 90 to push the ball over the crossbar and out of play.

Albertus Magnus responded with a stellar chance on the other end as Acacia Nelson beat two defenders and tried to tiptoe through the EC penalty area. Emily David, who had just re-entered the game off the bench, stepped up and made a great defensive play to strip Nelson of the ball and keep the Falcons off the board.

In the two overtime periods, Emmanuel continued to apply pressure, outshooting AMC 7-2 overall. Freshman Mikayla Guthrie took a volley from just off the end line and drilled the crossbar, missing the winner by inches.

Both teams started slowly in the penalty kick shootout, as neither side scored in the first two rounds. Angelina Piccirillo and Maggie Carey both scored in round three, with Carey's shot bouncing off the post and trickling over the goal line. Bridget Judd and Fink each toed the line and converted in the fourth round, setting up the fifth round, which was effectively sudden death. 

LaRoche made a great read on Victoria Lavery's attempt and pushed the ball out of bounds. With the game on the line, the Emmanuel goalkeeper placed the ball on the spot, stared down Case in the goal, and drilled a sure-footed strike into the back of the goal before sprinting to celebrate with her teammates. 

The Saints advance to the GNAC semifinals which will take place on Tuesday, November 3. EC will travel to Johnson & Wales for that game, as the Wildcats knocked off St. Joseph's (Maine), 3-2 in extra time. The time of the matchup between the #2 and #3 seeds has not yet been determined.