Freshman Lifts Allegheny to NCAC Finals
Freshman Jessie Thiessen scored two goals in a seven-minute span late in the first half to lift the Gators to a 2-0 victory over visiting DePauw in the semifinals of the North Coast Athletic Conference championship tournament. With the victory, the Gators move on to the championship match, scheduled for this Saturday morning against the winner of the Wendesday night tilt between Denison and Wittenberg.
The top-seeded Gators (10-5-4) out-shot the #4 Tigers (10-9) 22-6 for the afternoon, and notched their ninth shutout win of the season behind three saves from goalkeeper Gabby Curtis. The win allowed the Gators to exact revenge on the Tigers, who handed Allegheny its only NCAC loss of the season 10 days earlier in Meadville.
The game had a defensive theme from the start with the majority of the action taking place in the middle third of the field, as the two squads combined for just three shots over the first 30 minutes.
With just over 14 minutes left in the opening stanza, the Gator offense was able to put together its first sustained possession, getting off three shots in a 90 second span. In the 34th minute, Greta Hilbrands gathered the ball 20 yards out, and sent a pass toward the sideline, catching Thiessen in stride. The freshman took a quick dribble and then let off a rocket from 12 yards out into the corner of the net to give the Gators a 1-0 lead at the 34:27 mark.
The first goal energized the Gators, who kept the ball in their third of the field for the duration of the half. With four minutes left, Tori Delzer blasted a shot on goal from less than 10 yards out, but it caught a Tiger defender just in front of the net. After the ensuing corner kick, DePauw looked to clear the ball from inside its own six, but Thiessen was able to sneak in and steal the clearing attempt, sending a blast into the lower corner of the net to give the Gators the 2-0 advantage.
Though unable to add an insurance goal, the Gators continued to control play over the duration of the second half, out-shooting the Tigers 12-5, with DePauw goalie Emma Cooper making six second half saves. For the Gators, Curtis was sharp when called upon, making three stops over the final 25 minutes to preserve the shutout and the victory.
Allegheny's 22 shots were taken by eight different players, with Delzer leading both sides with seven. Jaymee Wallace was credited with four and Thiessen three, as the Gators out-shot their opponent for the 10th straight match. It was also the tenth straight match in which Allegheny tallied 17 or more shots, while it marked the fifth time this season that the Gators produced at least 20.
The Gators now move on to Saturday's NCAC championship game, against the winner of Wednesday night's tilt between second-seeded Wittenberg and #3 Denison. Saturday's title match is scheduled for 11 a.m. on the grass at the Robertson Athletic Complex, weather permitting. If the field is unplayable, the game will be played Saturday evening at 7 p.m. on the turf at Frank B. Fuhrer Field. It marks the third time in the last four years in which the Gators will play for the conference title, as they previously reached the NCAC championship game in both 2010 and '11.
