Box Score |
Highlights |
Postgame InterviewBROOKLINE, Mass. -- The Northeastern women's soccer team booked a place in Sunday's CAA championship game with a dominant 4-0 victory over No. 4 William & Mary on Friday in the CAA semifinals at Parsons Field.
Senior
Bianca Calderone, freshman
Kayla Cappuzzo, junior
Shayna Blackwood and sophomore
Mackenzie Dowd scored for the Huskies, who advanced to the CAA title game for the second straight year. Northeastern won the CAA crown last year as a No. 3 seed and will look to repeat as CAA champions on Sunday against No. 3 seed Hofstra, who defeated No. 2 James Madison, 4-3, in Friday's other semifinal.
The 2014 CAA regular season champions, Northeastern (13-4-3) flexed its collective muscles at both ends of the field in a brilliant display on its home turf. The Huskies scored two goals in each half and outshot the Tribe (12-6-1) by a 13-8 margin. Senior
Paige Burnett made a season-high six saves to earn her 14th clean-sheet of the season.
Calderone broke a scoreless tie with her third goal of the season in the 34th minute. After a
Hannah Lopiccolo corner, NU's seventh of the first half, the ball bounced in the William & Mary box to sophomore
Carina Deandreis. Going to the ground, Deandreis was able to poke the ball back to an unmarked Calderone for a blast into the center of the goal to make it 1-0.
Northeastern kept its foot on the gas and doubled the lead less than 10 minutes later. After a William & Mary turnover in its own end, Cappuzzo pounced on a loose ball and ripped a shot inside the left post from 24 yards out on the right wing.
Blackwood made it 3-0 with her fourth goal in the last four games at the 62:48 mark. Again, the Huskies made the Tribe pay for some sloppy play in their own half as Blackwood latched onto a loose ball in the box and smacked an out-swinging shot into the upper right corner of the net from the left side of the box.
Dowd then put the cherry on top with her team-leading sixth goal of the season exactly four minutes later. After a Lopiccolo cross from the right wing, the Tribe could not clear, and Dowd was able to toe-poke the ball home amidst heavy traffic with 21:12 remaining in regulation.
The win gives Northeastern its 15th shutout of the season, and its 13th win, which ties a single-season program record (2008). The Huskies also won 4-0 for the fourth time this year (Maine, Elon, Towson).
The Red & Black will try for their second straight CAA title on Sunday against Hofstra. The Pride dealt NU its only CAA loss of the season back on Oct. 11 in a 1-0 decision in Hempstead, New York. Sunday's game is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. and will be televised on the American Sports Network.
For complete coverage of Northeastern women's soccer, follow us on Facebook (GoNUwsoccer) and Twitter (@GoNUwsoccer). Check out exclusive live and on-demand videos at GoNU.com/xstream and behind-the-scenes content on Instagram (GoNUathletics). .
