MILTON, Mass. - After doubling up Salve Regina 4-2 on Saturday evening, the third-seeded Curry College women's soccer team prepares to head north for the Commonwealth Coast Conference Semifinals on Tuesday night at second-seeded University of New England at 7 p.m.
Last Meeting
The Nor'easters defeated Curry 4-0 on October 1 at Barbara J. Hazard Field. UNE scored three goals in the second half, including two in the final nine and a half minutes, to pull away from the Colonels.
How They Got Here
Curry got goals from four different players on Saturday evening to knock off sixth-seeded Salve Regina 4-2 in the CCC Quarterfinals. The win was Curry's first CCC Tournament win since knocking off UNE in the 2016 CCC Quarterfinals.
In UNE's Quarterfinal matchup, the Nor'easters scored in the 89th minute to break a scoreless tie, and held on to defeat #7 Endicott 1-0.
Both teams enter Tuesday's semifinal matchup with identical 10-5-3 overall records on the season, and each finished CCC play with a mark of 4-2-3. UNE won the tiebreaker between the two teams on the head-to-head result, earning the second seed and the right to host Tuesday's game.
Players to Watch
Curry's top players all stepped up in the Quarterfinal win over Salve Regina. Graduate student Samantha Borges (Somerset, Mass.) netted her team-leading eighth goal of the season to open the scoring, while second-leading scorer Sydney Resendes (Coventry, R.I.) chipped in a goal and an assist.
Sophomore Kiera Lindmark (Norfolk, Mass.) scored her fifth goal of the season when she headed home a corner kick off the foot of senior defender and captain Jessica Gooch (Dracut, Mass.), and senior Erica Blanch (Danvers, Mass.) added an insurance tally in the 59th minute.
Between the pipes, sophomore Hannah Correa (Carver, Mass.), made 11 saves in the win, her second highest single-game total of the season.
The Nor'easters have gotten offensive contributions up and down their lineup all season, led by sophomore Tori Keyes, who has seven goals and four assists for 18 points. Keyes is far from the UNE's only threat to find the scoresheet however, as sophomore Morgan Diefenbach's late game-winner on Saturday made her the 14th different player to score a goal for UNE this season, a mark tied for the conference lead.
Like Salve Regina, UNE has primarily used two goaltenders in tandem this season. In 10 starts, senior Sydney Gillingham has a .852 save percentage and 0.95 goals against average for a record of 6-2-2. Freshman Ariel Martin has made seven starts with a .889 save percentage and 0.89 goals against for a record of 4-2-1. Martin got the nod for UNE's Quarterfinal matchup against Endicott, earning a six-save shutout.
From the Coach's Desk
"I am so proud of the team for winning their first conference tournament game in six years," said Curry women's soccer head coach Sarah Dacey on Monday. "We know it doesn't get any easier from here facing a tough UNE team, but we are confident and ready for the opportunity to keep our season going."
How to Watch
Tuesday's CCC Semifinal between the Colonels and Nor'easters will take place at UNE's Barbara J. Hazard Field, located at 25 Hills Beach Road in Biddeford, Maine. If you are not able to make the trip north, live statistics and video will be available at curryathletics.com.
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