Win In Finale Propels Women's Soccer Into NEC Tournament

Needing a point in the regular season finale to qualify for the postseason, the Central Connecticut women's soccer team answered the call and earned three, defeating Delaware State 4-0 on Sunday evening.

The Blue Devils received goals from four different players on the evening and Melina Ford posted her fifth clean sheet of the season.

The victory gives the Blue Devils the fourth-seed in the upcoming NEC Tournament. CCSU will travel to top-seeded FDU on Thursday. The other semifinal will pit second-seeded Wagner versus Howard, the number three-seed. The winners will face-off on Sunday with a berth to the NCAA Tournament on the line.

GAME INFORMATION | BOX SCORE

Score: CCSU 4, Delaware State 0
Records: CCSU (6-5-5, 6-1-4 NEC), Delaware State (6-10-3; -8-4, 4-6-1 NEC)
Location: Drass Field | Dover, DE

KEY MOMENTS

• Central wasted little time getting out in front with a tally on a corner kick in the 12^th minute of play. Kayla Ward and Emma Radoncic go the ball to Gabby Smith, who put her shot into the top of the goal for a 1-0 lead.
• Julia dias de Souza made it 2-0 in the 27^th minute, collecting a Rebecca Devereux rebound just outside the six and putting the ball home. The chance started just inside midfield when Isabella Cambio took the ball away from a Delaware State player and fed Rachel Wygant out wide to start the scoring chance
• Riley Powers made it 3-0 with a goal in the 58^th minute of action, with a shot from the top of the 18 that went into the right side of the netting.
• Stella Orellana scored 33 seconds later putting home a perfectly fed pass through the back line from Powers to make the score 4-0

NUMBER TO KNOW

23 – The Blue Devils will play in the NEC Tournament for the 23rd time since its inception in 1997

NOTES

• The Blue Devils four goals on Sunday equals a season-high (vs. LIU) and they finish the regular season even in goals with opponents, 21-21
• Devereux had two assists in the victory, for her first points of her rookie campaign
• Smith and Orellana both scored their first goals of the season, giving CCSU 11 goals scorers on the season
• Dias de Souza has two goals in the past two games for CCSU as the Blue Devils finish the regular season without a player scoring more than once in a game
• Ford made four saves for CCSU, including three in a short span during the first-half, to protect the one goal lead
• CCSU finished with a 16-9 edge in shots during the game, including a 9-4 advantage in the opening period
• The Blue Devils earned five corner kicks, scoring the game-winning goal on the second corner of the game

UP NEXT

• The Blue Devils will play at top-seeded FDU on Thursday night in NEC Tournament play