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New Britain, CT -- Faced with a team that just wouldn't back down, Central Connecticut showed the heart of a champion.

A 13-time champion.

Going the distance in a wild NEC women's soccer final on a sunny November afternoon, second-seeded CCSU held off the upset-bid of sixth-seeded Wagner, taking home the NEC crown in PKs after the two squads battled to a 1-1 draw. The Blue Devils won the PK shootout, 4-3, to set off a wild celebration and end the Seahawks' Cinderella run in pursuit of the program's first title.

The championship was the fifth in six years for the Blue Devils and the 13 overall titles only trails LIU softball (15) and FDU men's tennis (14) on the all-time conference chart.

The two teams played a 90 minutes with neither team able to break through.

Wagner (8-8-4, 5-5 NEC) junior keeper Sam Hughes (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) was outstanding in net for the Seahawks, turning away a number of viable CCSU scoring opportunities.

With the match still scoreless in the second overtime, CCSU (10-4-5, 7-0-3 NEC) keeper Melina Ford (Portland, CT/Mercy), who was named NEC Tournament MVP, denied Wagner at the doorstep. On the counter, NEC Offensive Player of the Year Giavanna Inzerillo (Manorville, NY/Eastport South Manor) approached the box and laced a hard-paced shot to the far post that Hughes got a hand on, but not enough to keep it out of the back of the net. It was Inzerillo's league-leading 15th goal of the year.

With under a minute to go in the OT, the unimaginable happened.

Wagner's Kayle Barbosa (Hackettstown, NJ/Jefferson Township) lined up a free kick from the center of the field just outside the box, and placed a left-footed beauty inside the near post to force a penalty shootout with her fourth goal of the fall.

To start the shootout, each squad converted their first shot. Ford then made an incredible stop to deny Wagner's second attempt to give CCSU a 2-1 lead. Following another round of made shots, CCSU missed the frame of the goal making and was 3-3 heading into the fifth frame. The decider came after Gia Edwards (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law) found the back of the net for the Blue Devils, and Wagner's Madison Carr's (Perryville, MD/Perrville) shot hit the crossbar to give CCSU its 13th NEC title. 

CCSU posted an 18-11 edge in shots and 8-2 advantage in corners.

Ford made five saves in the final, while Hughes stopped nine shots.

All-Tournament Team
Melina Ford, CCSU (MVP)
Abbie Burgess, CCSU
Nicolle Santos, CCSU
Victoria Violette, CCSU
Kayla Barbosa, WC
Sam Hughes, WC
Juliana Rafaniello, WC
Caroline Howland, MC
Isabella Keogh, MC
Melea Earley, HU
Trinity Knox, HU