Women's Soccer | 11/15/2008 3:35:16 PM
Click For Box Score (RIT vs. Medaille)
Click For Box Score (Brockport vs. Potsdam)
ROCHESTER, NY - Freshman
Kasey Dobrodziej (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor) (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor) scored the decisive goal in the fourth round of penalty kicks, allowing the RIT women's soccer team (9-7-3) to advance past Medaille (12-9-1) in the ECAC Upstate Championship Semfinal on a soggy, Saturday afternoon at the RIT Turf Field. The game officially ended in a 1-1 tie before going to penalty kicks. RIT will play SUNY Brockport in the ECAC Upstate Championship contest at 12 p.m. Sunday.
Medaille shot first in the penalty kick session. Both teams traded goals on their first two attempts, as Laura Freeman and Danielle Radlich scored for the Mavericks, while
Krystal Adriaansen (Marion, NY/Marion) (Marion, NY/Marion) and
Emily Traversi (Acton, MA/Acton-Boxborough) (Acton, MA/Acton-Boxborough) tallied for RIT. RIT goalkeeper
Ashley Valenti (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima) (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima) came up huge on Medaille's third attempt, robbing Mary Smialek.
Danielle LaFrance (Syracuse, NY/Cicero-N.Syracuse) (North Syracuse, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) scoed on RIT's third attempt to put the Tigers up 3-2. After a Medaille player rang a shot off the post, Dobrodziej came through, ripping a shot into the lower right corner to clinch the penalty kick round for RIT.
After a scoreless first half, the Tigers got on the board in the 65th minute, as sophomore midfielder
Kendra Shelters (Lyons, NY/Lyons) (Lyons, NY/Lyons) took a cross from Traversi and one-timed a shot past Medaille goalkeeper Mattea Haessner to give RIT a 1-0 lead.
Medaille struck back just over 10 minutes later, as Radlich led Freeman with a breakaway pass. Freeman broke in behind the RIT defense and slid a shot past RIT goalkeeper
Ashley Conti (Canfield, OH/Canfield) (Canfield, OH/Canfield) to tie the game at 1.
The Tigers had a golden opportunity to win in regulation, as RIT was awarded a penalty kick after Traversi was hauled down inside the penalty area.
Erica Main (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) took the penalty kick for the Tigers, but not convert, as Haessner leaped to knock the attempt that was headed for the top of the net away.
RIT out-shot Medaille, 15-9. Haessner was excellent in net for the Mavericks, with 10 saves. Valenti started in net for the Tigers and made three first half saves, in addition to the clutch stop in the penalty kicks. Conti played the second half and both overtimes, stopping one shot.
It was a physical contest, as five yellow cards were assessed. RIT attempted seven corner kicks to Medaille's three.
Top-seed SUNY Brockport easily dispatched #4 SUNY Potsdam, 4-0 in the second semifinal on Saturday.
