Connecticut College Upsets Amherst in Women's Soccer First Round
Courtesy Amherst Sports Information
AMHERST, Mass. - Connecticut College rookie forward Lucy Strong (Seattle, WA) scored a controversial goal with 5:08 left in regulation to lead the visiting seventh-seeded Camels to a dramatic 1-0 upset victory over second-seeded defending conference champion Amherst College in the opening round of the NESCAC Women's Soccer Tournament on Sunday. It was the first time in the tournament's five-year history a No. 7 seed has knocked off a No. 2.
Amherst, which dropped to 9-2-4 with the improbable loss, had a six-game winning streak and a nine-game unbeaten streak snapped and will now await word of a possible at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
After Conn. College senior co-captain Christa Thoeresz (Portland, OR) sent a long pass toward the Amherst net, a footrace ensued between Strong and sophomore goalie Piper Crowell (San Rafael, CA). Crowell lunged for the ball and appeared to gain possession, but Strong knocked it away and slid a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner of the net. Despite Amherst's protests, the goal was allowed, and Conn. College (9-6) advances to the NESCAC Semifinals, where they'll meet top-seeded Middlebury College next Saturday at 11 a.m.
Amherst had a bevy of legitimate scoring opportunities - especially in the second half - and outshot the Camels 21-9 overall, including a 15-3 margin after the break. Amherst seniors Ashley Harmeling (N. Reading, MA) and Adrienne Showler (Ottawa, Ontario) each had several near-misses in the waning minutes, and Conn. College senior goalie Paige Diamond (Longmeadow, MA) - whose older sister Brooke was a First-Team All-NESCAC netminder at Amherst before graduating in 2003 - was spectacular down the stretch, saving the game time and again for the visiting Camels.
Crowell finished with five saves in defeat.
