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The third-seeded Huskies defeated the second-seeded William and Mary Tribe 2-1 in overtime on a cold Friday evening to advance to the final of the CAA Championship.

The Huskies will face their next challenge in the final of the CAA Tournament against top seed and host UNC Wilmington on Sunday at 1 p.m. This is NU's second consecutive trip to the conference championship game. The Huskies fell to George Mason in the title round last season.

The Huskies came out with postseason intensity, putting four shots on net in the first half to the Tribe's one. Just 52 seconds into the match, a William and Mary penalty set up a Northeastern free kick that Mike Kennedy bent just over the crossbar. It would be the first of six shots in the half for the Huskies and the first of Kennedy's team-leading five attempts.

Not to be outdone, the Tribe fired a shot on net just 90 seconds later that was saved by NU keeper Scott Partridge and the game remained tied at one. As the first half progressed, each team had a number of chances. Santiago Bedoya just missed giving the Huskies the lead as he hit the crossbar in the 14th minute. Kennedy and Josh Danesh put back-to-back shots on net in the 21st and 22nd minutes that were both saved by Tribe keeper Andrew McAdams.

Although each team had several chances in the first frame, defense prevailed and the squads headed into the second half with the match scoreless.

In the second half Northeastern was able to control the pace of the game. After an early corner kick failed to produce, the Huskies were able to find an opening in the 52nd minute. As All-CAA first team selection Santiago Bedoya streaked down the left side of the field he was able to cross the ball into the waiting foot of CAA Rookie of the Year Don Anding. With McAdams out of position focusing on Bedoya, Anding was able to lay in his seventh tally of the season and gain the 1-0 lead.

The two teams battled it out for the next twenty minutes as both sides put shots on goal. In the 59th minute, the Tribe nearly tied it as Alan Koger broke free of the Huskies defense but fired a shot just over the bar. After 10 minutes of even play, CAA Player of the Year Andrew Hoxie nearly evened the contest but Partridge made a great diving save to preserve the lead.

That lead would fall just two minutes later in the 72nd minute as an Ian Stowe pass to Hoxie turned into a near perfect cross that Nathaniel Baako converted into a 1-1 tie.

After two more chances for William and Mary and a shot from NU's Kennedy off the left post, regulation time expired with the match knotted at one.

Both teams remained on the sidelines as they prepared for the overtime period. Playing in their third overtime playoff match in the last two seasons, the Huskies showed their experience. One minute into the frame, a rocket from Kennedy nearly sent Northeastern to the final but a punch-over save from McAdams preserved the tie.

It wasn't until the 98th minute that Bedoya found Ciliotta with yet another well-placed cross and Ciliotta put home his fourth goal of the season to earn the dramatic victory for the Huskies.

"We felt like we had played hard and deserved to win this match," said Huskies head coach Brian Ainscough. "We just hope we can keep this going and be playing in the NCAA's on Thursday."

Ainscough also had praise for a number of his players.

"I can't say enough about Lars Okland and what he has done for this team as clearly one of the league's best players," he added. "And Santi [Bedoya], Don [Anding], and Andre [Ciliotta] really proved that they belonged on the All-CAA teams."