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Wildcats Advance in Postseason
Opener
Two Goals by Makinen Lead the Way
WEST WINDSOR, NJ - The New Jersey Wildcats took their first step
toward the W-League Championship tonight with a 2-0 victory over the
Boston Renegades at Mercer County Community College in the semifinals of
the Eastern Conference playoffs. Anne Makinen led the way for the Wildcats
with two goals as the Wildcats won their 15th straight.
New Jersey advances to
the Eastern Conference final on Sunday where they face the Montreal Xtreme
at 5 p.m. at Mercer County Community College. Montreal advanced to the
final with a dramatic
5-4 overtime victory over the Long Island Lady Riders.
The Wildcats dominated
the first half outshooting the Renegades 9-1 in the process but they could
only manage a free kick goal by Makinen in the 18th minute. Boston keeper
Ashley Phillips stuffed Kate Sands on a breakaway in the 11th minute
before Makinen put New Jersey on the board. Pichon was taken down at the
top of the box and Makinen curved her free kick over the wall and in
leaving Phillips flat-footed.
Boston had its best
chance of the game in the 51st minute when Kara Frederick sent a cross in
from the right and Meghan Welcome redirected a shot that skimmed off the
top of the crossbar.
Makinen added to the lead
in the 55th minute when she buried a penalty kick into the upper left
corner. Pichon once again earned the kick when she was taken down by
Boston defender Maura Robertson.
Pichon nearly added one
herself in the 63rd minute but her right-footed blast from 25 yards was
stopped by a diving Phillips.
LINEUPS: BOSTON
RENEGADES: Ashley Phillips, Maura Robertson (Rebecca Brooke 82),
Ellen Daly, Liza Barber, Caitlin Fisher, Maggie Tomecka, Zoe Avner, Sarah
Rahko (Stacey Stocco 68), Caitlin Munoz (Kelli Partridge 62), Meghan
Welcome (Kristen MacDonald 87), Kara Frederick. NEW JERSEY WILDCATS: Amanda
Brown, Beth McNamara, Rochelle Willis, Kim Brandao, Janine Willis, Maura Gallagher
(Cara Hammond 82), Anne Makinen,
Kelly Hammond, Manya Makoski (Katie Ludwig 60), Kate Sands (Tasha St Louis
78), Marinette Pichon (Marieke van Tienhoven 87).
GOALS: NJW –
Makinen 18th minute NJW – Makinen (PK) 55th minute
SAVES: BR –
Phillips 7 NJW – Brown 2
SHOTS: BR –
6, NJW – 17
Montreal Goes to Overtime to Top Long
Island
Pinard Hits Winner in the 117th Minute
WEST WINDSOR, NJ - After a first half slugfest that
featured seven goals, the Montreal Xtreme finally ended the game with a
goal in the second overtime period to claim a 5-4 victory over the Long
Island Lady Riders in the semifinal round of the Eastern Conference
playoffs. With penalty kicks looming, Marie-Claude Pinard headed in the
game winner in the 117th minute to send the Xtreme into the final on
Sunday where they will face the New Jersey Wildcats. The Wildcats joined
the Xtreme in the final with a 2-0 victory over Boston in the nightcap of
the doubleheader.
The game was an even battle with the shots finishing at
20-20. The two teams were coming off a slugfest in Long Island last
weekend with the Lady Riders winning 6-5 in overtime. The two teams picked
up right where they left off with three goals in the first eight minutes.
Kerri McCabe opened the scoring in the 4th minute for the Lady Riders
before Melissa Lesage tied the score two minutes later. Minna Mustonen
regained the lead for Long Island in the eighth minute.
Lesage connected again in the 17th minute to tie the game
at 2-2, but Michelle O'Brien hit in the 26th minute and Penny Stansfield
scored a direct free kick nine minutes later for Long Island. Caroline
Vanderpool capped the offensive outburst when she hit for Montreal with
four minutes left in the opening half.
In contrast to the first half, neither team could
connected in the second half with the exception of a rebound goal by
Vanderpool in the 57th minute. Pinard won the game for Montreal in the
117th minute when she headed in a rebound off a header by Amy Walsh.
LINEUPS:
MONTREAL XTREME: Marie-Pierre Bilodeau, Marie-Eve Nault, Sharolta
Nonen, Marie-Claude Pinard, Marie-Emilie Perreault Morier (Isabelle
Morneau 28), Erin Holland (Bonnie Walsh 105), Caroline Vanderpool, Amy
Walsh, Anne Marie LaPalme, Kelly Hemsley (Patricia Bourcier 94), Melissa
Lesage (Caroline Vaillancourt 37, Myriam Gousse 88).
LONG ISLAND LADY RIDERS: Jodi Horowitz, Allison Mullen, Brooke
DeRosa, Penny Stansfield (Emma Kilduff 61), Francesca DeCristoforo, Kerri
McCabe (Melissa Shulman 57), Gina Prinzevalli-Mohamed, Kerri Martin (Grace
Hawkins 89), Marisa Pistone, Michelle O'Brien, Minna Mustonen (Tracie
Foraker 77).
GOALS:
LI – McCabe (O'Brien) 4th minute
MON – Lesage (LaPalme) 6th minute
LI – Mustonen (Prinzevalli-Mohamed) 8th minute
MON – Lesage 17th minute
LI – O'Brien (Prinzevalli-Mohamed) 26th minute
LI – Stansfield (O'Brien) 35th minute
MON – Vanderpool (Vaillencourt) 41st minute
MON – Vanderpool 57th minute
MON – Pinard 117th minute
SAVES:
MON – Bilodeau 8
LI – Horowitz 7
SHOTS:
MON – 20, LI – 20 |