TEANECK, N.J. (Nov. 5, 2010) – It may have been offense that lifted the Red Flash to new heights during the regular season, but senior goalkeeper Lauren Fearer (Mount Pleasant, Pa./Mount Pleasant Area) (Mount Pleasant, Pa./Mount Pleasant Area) carried the day as the Saint Francis University women's soccer team advanced to the Northeast Conference Championship match for the first time in school history.

Though she was not the only hero Friday's 2-2 double-OT tie versus Quinnipiac at Farleigh Dickinson's University Stadium, Fearer made stops on the Bobcats' final two attempts of the deciding shootout to bring SFU to within a win of its first league title.

After the Red Flash and Bobcats played to a scoreless tie through the game's first half, NEC Rookie of the Year Barbara Maros de Carvalho (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Colegio Sagrado Coraco de Jesus) (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Colegio Sagrado Caraco de Jesus) put Saint Francis on the board 2:59 into the second half.  The shot, which initially looked as though it would sail out of play, struck the far right corner of the goal and into the net.

The lead, however, would be short-lived.

The Bobcats responded quickly, scoring two goals within three minutes of each other only eight minutes after the Flash tally. Megan McLoughlin tapped the first one in on an assist from teammate Kristina Del Mistro.  Next, it was Del Mistro who took one in with her low shot near the right side post to tip the scale, 2-1, in favor of Quinnipiac.

With 15 minutes to go in regulation the Saint Francis offense regained momentum as Maros de Carvalho delivered a cross to senior Haleigh Dunyon (Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow Wilson) (Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow Wilson) who sent a quick pass to Chelsea Traurig (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) who delivered the equalizer. 

During the overtime periods momentum began to swing subtly in favor of the Red Flash but to no avail and the game would be decided by penalty kicks.

Quinnipiac's Furtuna Velaj led off the shootout, burying her kick, but Dunyon evened it up with her successful shot.   The Bobcats' next shot rung off the left post before Fearer stepped up to issue a decisive pair of rejections.  Meanwhile, Saint Francis' shooters – Brianna Tata (Rochester, N.Y./Aquinas Institute) and Alecia McNiff (Marietta, Pa./Donegal ) (Marietta, Pa./Donegal) – both found the back of the net to punch SFU's ticket to the final.

Fearer recorded seven saves on the afternoon.  The Flash outshot Quinnipiac, 13-to-12.

Saint Francis will take on top-seeded Long Island in the NEC Championship match on Sunday at Fairleigh Dickinson's University Stadium.  The Blackbirds defeated Central Connecticut State, 1-0, earlier in the day.  Kickoff is slated for noon.