DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – Powered by the game-winning goal in the 78th minute from junior Hailey Metzger (Levittown, N.Y./MacArthur) and four saves from junior Anneliese Becker (Stafford, Va./Mountain View), the No. 1 seeded Mercy University Women's Soccer Team earned a 1-0 win over No. 4 seeded Roberts Wesleyan University in the Semifinals of the ECC Women's Soccer Championship on Saturday afternoon at Mercy Field.
The Mavericks (11-3-4) defeat the Redhawks (8-4-6) for the second time this season and advance to the final for the second straight year. Mercy will host No. 2 seed Molloy in the ECC Championship Final on Saturday, November 7th at 1 p.m. The Mavericks improve to 7-0-2 at home this year and advance to the final for the seventh time in program history.
Freshmen Khloe Welch (East Syracuse, N.Y./East Syracuse Minoa Central), Astrid Borglund (Stockholm, Sweden/Hersby Gymnasium) and Elizabeth Crawford (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) and senior Femke Demets (Avelgem, Belgium/University of Texas Rio Grande Valley) forced Roberts Wesleyan goalkeeper Rebecca Hoffman to make four saves in the first half, keeping the game scoreless.
Hoffman opened the second half with a save on a Metzger shot in the 56th minute before Becker came up with four huge saves to keep the game scoreless. Metzger scored the game-winning goal in the 78th minute, giving Mercy a 1-0 lead. Demets fired a cross into the box that deflected off a Redhawks defender and went to Metzger, who fired the ball into the upper right corner of the next, making it 1-0.
The Mercy defense held Roberts Wesleyan without a shot for the remainder of the game, giving the Mavericks a 1-0 win.
Mercy was led by Metzger who scored her fourth goal of the season and first game-winning goal of the year. Becker made four saves to pick up her eighth win of the year and fifth shutout.
Roberts Wesleyan was led by Hoffman who made a game-high five saves to take the loss.
Mercy held a 10-7 edge in shots, a 6-4 edge in shots on goal and an 8-0 edge in corner kicks.
Head Coach Jack Nicholson and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, November 7th when they host Molloy in the ECC Championship Final at 1 p.m.
