By Trevor Wenners, News Correspondent
The Colonial Athletic Association Women’s Soccer Championship fourth-seeded Huskies season came to an end with a loss in the quarterfinals to the No. 5 Hofstra Pride in penalty kicks on Sunday at Parsons Field in Brookline.
“It is a heartbreaking way to lose on penalty kicks,” head coach Tracey Leone, who is now 27-27-4 as a Husky after this season (9-9-1, 7-3 CAA), said. “This [team’s] accomplishment from going 2-6 to 7-3 in this conference and hosting a game in the tournament is unbelievable.”
The Pride (10-8-1, 6-4 CAA) wasted no time before getting on the scoreboard at 1:29 when sophomore midfielder Sam Scolarici (8) scored, assisted by sophomore midfielder Lulu Echeverry.
Senior forward Greta Samuelsdottir responded with her ninth goal of the season at 34:56 when she headed in a corner kick from her Icelandic compatriot, senior midfielder Sandra Magnusdottir.
The game went into halftime knotted at one and stayed that way until Magnusdottir scored her third goal of the season off a free kick in the 81st minute.
The game was forced into overtime with a penalty kick goal from Scolarici (9) at 83:57.
The Pride dominated the two overtime sessions with nine shots on goal to the Huskies one, and numerous corner kick opportunities.
After 20 minutes of scoreless bonus soccer, the game went into a penalty kick shootout where the Pride scored in the fourth round to seal the deal with a 3-1 edge. Freshman defender Shayna Blackwood scored first in the final round to keep the Huskies alive but their hopes were crushed when sophomore midfielder Anya Koren registered the decisive goal.
Sophomore goalkeeper Paige Burnett recorded six saves including one on a shot by Scolarici right before halftime that kept the game even. She later extended the game with a timely save on Koren’s attack right at the end of the first overtime to send the game to another session.
Terry had five shots during the match while Samuelsdottir chipped in with four.
After a tough loss and 120 minutes of battle, Leone could only compliment her team and their efforts this season.
“All they did was become better, stronger, tighter and more driven and that is what it is all about,” Leone said. “I told them that there was no other team I [would] rather be the coach of in the whole world than them.”
