Loretto, Pa. – The Saint Francis women's soccer team's (7-8-3, 5-2-1 NEC) quest for a three-peat will have to go through Central Connecticut State this weekend as the Blue Devils secured the top seed and will host the NEC Tournament from Nov. 2 – Nov. 4. For the second straight season, SFU enters as the two seed and will take on No. 3 Mount St. Mary's on Friday, Nov. 2 at 4 p.m.
Scouting the Field
No. 1 Central Connecticut State (14-1-2, 8-0-0 NEC)
The Blue Devils locked up the regular-season title with a perfect 8-0 league record and enter the weekend on a 15-game unbeaten streak. Saint Francis and the Blue Devils met last Friday. An 82nd minute goal helped CCSU to a 1-0 victory but the Red Flash outshot the Blue Devils 17-10 for the match and missed a penalty. Central Connecticut's offense is a handful. The Blue Devils led the NEC in shots per game (16.8) and goals per game (1.88) and have been held scoreless just once all season. Defensively, CCSU has conceded just eight goals for the best goals against average in the league (.47 goals per game) and has recorded a league-high 11 clean sheets in 17 contests. Senior Charlotte Maurer ranks second in the conference in goals and points with eight goals and four assists. Senior Danielle Pearse is not far behind with seven goals and three assists for the third most points in conference. Junior Carla Jackson leads the conference with six assists. Senior goalkeeper Ashley Cavanaugh's .47 goals against average is the best mark in the league as is her .886 save percentage.
No. 3 Mount St. Mary's (5-8-3, 4-2-2 NEC)
The Mountaineers got hot late in the season to earn their first playoff berth in 21 years. Mount St. Mary's is led by Kayla Hughes and Maddie Tchou. The duo is tied for the team lead in scoring with four goals and one assist each. Mount St. Mary's will be battle tested as 11 of its last 13 games have been decided by one goal or less. One of those was a 1-0 loss in Loretto on Oct. 7 thanks to a 53rd minute goal by senior
Sara Suler (Hermitage, Pa./Hickory).
Series History With the Mountaineers
Saint Francis will ride a nine-game winning streak over the Mountaineers into Friday's semifinal. SFU leads the all-time series 18-9-1.
No. 4 Fairleigh Dickinson (6-9-3, 4-3-1 NEC)
The Knights fell to the fourth-seed with two losses to close its regular season. Fairleigh Dickinson was the top seed in the 2017 NEC Tournament, advancing to the NEC Finals where it lost to Saint Francis in penalty kicks. Don't be surprised if SFU and FDU cross paths Sunday as it would be the fifth consecutive season in which the school's have met in the postseason. The Knights are led by Viktorija Miseljic and her six goals and two assists. Sofia Albertsson has added four goals and three assists.
Consistency is Key
Saint Francis has been a model of consistency under head coach
Brenda van Stralen, making the NEC Tournament nine straight seasons. The Red Flash has won four NEC titles in that span and recorded a 10-4 record in playoff games.
Leaning on the Veterans
The Red Flash will rely on its veterans to bring home a third straight NEC Title. Seniors
Sara Suler (Hermitage, Pa./Hickory) and
Shannon McGinnis (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) showed they are the pulse of the team in Sunday's 5-0 Senior Day win over Wagner combining for three goals and two assists. McGinnis was All-Tournament in each of SFU's title runs in 2016 and 2017. Suler earend All-Tournament honors in 2016, scoring the game-winning goal in the NEC Final vs. CCSU.
You can watch all the action live on NEC Front Row.
