Gators Top Tigers for NCAC Championship
MEADVILLE, Pa. - The Gators captured their first North Coast Athletic Conference tournament championship in program history with a 2-0 victory over Wittenberg at the Robertson Athletic Complex.
Allegheny received first half goals from Olivia Cushman and Jessie Thiessen, and out-shot the Tigers 17-2 for the game, to improve to 11-5-4 on the season and earn the NCAC's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III National Tournament. This will be the Gators' fourth appearance in the NCAA postseason, and first since 2010.
In the opening minutes, the two teams appeared to be feeling each other out, as the majority of play took place in the middle third of the field. The Gators went on their first attack of the afternoon seven minutes into play, and used the game's first corner kick to take the early lead. Lauren Miller arched the corner right onto the doorstep in front of the goal, where it met the head of a Tiger defender who attempted to clear it out. Her clearing attempt went right to Cushman, who sent a blast past everyone and into the back of the net from 15 yards out for her her first career goal.
Following the early goal, play again evened out, with neither team putting together a sustained possession for the next several minutes. The Gators would again gain the momentum, taking two corner kicks in a three-minute span and continuing to put pressure on the Wittenberg defense. In the 26th minute, Thiessen received a pass near midfield and dribbled down the near sideline. As her teammates joined the rush, she settled on the side of the box and chipped a diagonal cross toward the goal. The ball continued to rise, however, and floated over Tiger goalkeeper Kelsey Lorko and into the net to give Allegheny the 2-0 lead. It was Thiessen's 10th goal of the season, and third in the Gators' two NCAC playoff contests.
Though unable to find the net for the remainder of the half, the Gators continued the offensive pressure, out-shooting the Tigers 7-1 over the final 15 minutes of the first half to enter the intermission with a 2-0 lead and a 10-1 advantage in shots.
The second half was similarly themed, as Allegheny continued to pin the Tiger defense deep in their own territory, with five corner kicks over the first 15 minutes. Instead of continuing their barrage of shots, Allegheny went to a short-passing/possession game, holding the ball for a number of long stretches to quash the Wittenberg comeback. The Tigers posted their lone shot of the half, and just second of the game, with 11 minutes left, and it was turned aside by Gator keeper Gabby Curtis to preserve her squad's 10th shutout of the season.
The victory came just seven days after the Gators and Tigers battled to a 1-1 draw in the regular season finale at Wittenberg, as the two squads joined Denison as the first regular season tri-champions in the North Coast Athletic Conference's 30-year history. Saturday marked the third appearance in the NCAC title game in four seasons for the Gators, as they previously fell by 1-0 scores to Denison in 2010 and to Ohio Wesleyan in 2011.
Allegheny will now await word on its first round NCAA tournament opponent, with the opening round matchups announced on Monday on www.ncaa.com.
