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Championship
#4 FDU 2, #3 Sacred Heart 2 (FDU wins via PKs, 5-4)

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Fairfield, CT -- It had been 21 years since a No. 4 seed had captued NEC women's soccer glory, and it took 110 minutes and five rounds of PKs for FDU to change that.

The fourth-seeded FDU Knights captured the program's second NEC title, coming from behind to defeat third-seeded Sacred Heart, 5-4 on penalty kicks, after the two teams played to a 2-2 deadlock on a cloudy afternoon in Fairfield, CT.

FDU (8-10-3), which had won its lone title in 2015, joined SHU (2021) and LIU (1999) as No. 4 seeds to win it all.
 
After a quiet first half, the two team combined for three goals in the first 12 minutes of the second half.
 
Sacred Heart (11-5-5) opened the scoring in the 48th minute when All-NEC first team midfielder Nichol Green (Shamong, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial) played a ball into the box for sophomore forward Grace O’Hara (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon), who headed it into the net just before a charging Malene Nielsen (Julesminde, Denmark/Ikast-Brande Gymnasium) was able to reach it.
 
In the 55th minute, FDU’s All-NEC first team midfielder, Lea Egner (Oberboihingen, Germany/Johann-Friedrich-vonn-Cotta) sent a corner kick into the box and sophomore forward Kiomy Luperon (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) was able to head it directly into the net to tie the game at one apiece.

Just over a minute later, two-time reigning NEC Offensive Player of the Year, FDU’s Aitana Martinez-Montoya (Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain/IES Ortega y Gasset M86), was taken down inside the box and converted on the penalty to give FDU it’s first lead of the game at 2-1.

Sacred Heart would strike back in the 88th minute when O’Hara headed a ball forward and NEC Rookie of the Year Morgan Bovardi (Boxford, MA) beat the FDU defense and sent a sliding shot into the back of the net, tying the game and sending it into overtime.

Neither team found the back of the net after 20 minutes of overtime and so they headed to penalties.

Each team converted on its first four attempts, then in the fifth round Nielsen made a big stop to give the Knights a chance to win it. Madelyn Robbins (Ontario, Canada/Jacob Hespeler) scored on her PK in the fifth round to clinch it for FDU.

For Sacred Heart, NEC Defensive Player and Goalkeeper of the Year Alyssa Kipperman (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) had a season-high 13 saves. Nielsen made three stops for the Knights.

FDU had 15 shots on goal and Sacred Heart landed five shots on frame.

The NCAA women’s soccer selection show will be streamed live on NCAA.com on Monday, November 7 at 4:00 pm.

All-Tournament Team
Lea Egner, FDU (Tournament MVP)
Paula Ruess, FDU
Aitana Martinez-Montoya, FDU
Madelyn Robbins, FDU
Grace O’Hara, SHU
Laurene Jordan, SHU
Morgan Bovardi, SHU
Erin Tyldesley, MC
Hallie Shiers, MC
Victoria Violette, CCSU
Charley Simmons, CCSU