#10 – WSOC: LIU-Brooklyn
vs. St. Francis, 2012 NEC Women’s Soccer Final (LIU 1-0) – 11/4/12
Often in trilogies, by the time you get to the third chapter it doesn’t live up to the original or the sequel. That was not the case with the LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds and the St. Francis University Red Flash championship trilogy in NEC women’s soccer, as their third straight meeting in the NEC Women’s Soccer Final may have served as the best one yet.
In 2010, the Blackbirds won the regular season title in the NEC. However, in the championship match against St. Francis, the Red Flash scored a goal in the 29th minute on a Tesa McKibben cross into the box that deflected off a LIU defender and into the net. Lauren Fearer made several spectacular saves in goal to preserve a 1-0 shutout win, clinching the first championship in St. Francis program history.
The following season these two foes would meet up again in the championship round, this time in Loretto, as the Red Flash came in as regular season champs. The Blackbirds struck first, 11 minutes into the match, on a Ruby Leon goal. The Flash answered in the 69th minute on a Stephanie Boulter tally to even the match at one. The game would remain tied after 110 minutes, sending the match into penalty kicks. With LIU in front 4-3 in PK’s, Blackbirds goalie, and tourney MVP, Jennifer Bannon made the clinching stop on an Aryn Askin’s attempt in the bottom of the 5th round to ensure that the 2011 championship trophy would reside in Brooklyn.
This year, St. Francis once again claimed the regular season crown, becoming the first team in NEC history to run the table, going a perfect 10-0-0. The perfect record included a 1-0 regular season win against LIU-Brooklyn. In the semi-final round of the championship tournament, the Red Flash defeated Sacred Heart 2-0, while the Blackbirds got past Monmouth 1-0 in the other semi to set the stage for the rubber match, SFU/LIU III, at the 2012 NEC Championships and the #10 Top NEC Game of 2012.
After a scoreless first 45 minutes, the Red Flash began to
assert themselves in the second half, controlling the tempo and gaining the majority
of the scoring opportunities. The game remained deadlocked inside the final
four minutes of regulation when the championship clinching sequence played
itself out. After a LIU foul in the center circle, St. Francis sent in a kick that was
headed from about 25-30 yards out into the box, where it was settled down onto
the left foot of an off-balance Brittany Hasson. The freshman’s shot didn’t
have enough velocity on it, as Blackbirds goalie Jessica Sexton dove to her
left to make the save. On the clearance,
Shino Kunisawa received a deflection off of a St. Francis defender in the
middle of the field, at the top of the 18. Kunisawa dropped off a feed to her
teammate, grad senior Toni Smith, who snuck a bending shot just in between the
far post and an outstretched Brianna Butcher in goal. The score gave the
Blackbirds the lead with just 3:16 to go, and marked Smith’s seventh goal of
the season. Just seconds later, the Red Flash had one last prime scoring
opportunity. A McKibben shot was blocked and in the middle of the box and
another shot attempt was sent wide. The Blackbirds held on to the take the game, their fourth overall, and second straight NEC Women’s Soccer Championship, defeating the Red Flash
1-0. It marked the first time a team won back to back titles without the benefit
of hosting the tournament on their home field.
NEC Front Row Full Game Broadcast
St. Francis Game Recap
Previous Top 12 NEC Games of 2012:
#11 – WVB: Robert Morris at Sacred Heart (SHU 3-2) –
10/13/12
#12 (tie) – WBB: Central Connecticut State at St. Francis
(SFU 86-83 2OT) – 2/20/12
#12 (tie) – WBB: LIU-Brooklyn at Monmouth (MU 55-54) –
2/25/12
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