2003 NCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT SEMIFINAL #7 Franklin Pierce Advances to Sixth National Title Match
Hughes 100th minute goal lifts Ravens past #3 UC San Diego
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (December 4, 2003) - Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 7 in the final regular season National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, advanced to its sixth NCAA Division II Championship Match with a 2-1 victory over No. 3 UC San Diego in overtime at the Virginia Beach SportsPlex tonight.
Franklin Pierce (22-2) advances to Saturday's National Championship match where it will face No. 2-ranked Kennesaw State University (24-1) at 6 p.m. Kennesaw State, in its second year of existence, advanced to its first final with a 1-0 victory over 2002 runner-up University of Nebraska-Omaha (17-4-2) in tonight's first semifinal. UC San Diego wraps up its season with an 18-3-1 overall record.
"It's a nice relief to be back in the final," said Head Coach Jeff Bailey. "It was a tense game between two great teams. When you get to this stage, it hurts more when you lose and feels better when you win and I think we let the emotion get the best of us a little a the end."
Sophomore midfielder Sonya Hughes (Balbriggan, Ireland) scored the match-winner with just 11-seconds left in the first overtime. Hughes took the ball on the left flank and dribbled past three defenders before firing a shot into the right side of the net.
"I was going to the right and thought she knew I was right-footed," said Hughes. "So I passed it through to my left and then went back to the right and I was just going to hit it as hard as I could. It went right in and what a feeling."
"I think she surprised everyone," said Bailey.
UC San Diego opened the scoring just 3:40 into the match as freshman Megan Dickey (Del Mar, Calif.) took a pass from senior Kristin Jones (Oceanside, Calif.) and beat two defenders before slipping a low shot into the left corner.
Dickey got the start in place of the injury to senior All-American Megan Mendoza (Normandy Park, Wash.) in the Tritons quarterfinal win over No. 1-ranked Metro State (Colo.) University.
Franklin Pierce equalized in the 27th minute off a corner kick as Hughes spotted sophomore Laura Hislop (Belfast, Northern Ireland) at the upper left corner of the 18-yard box and passed it to her for a shot that slipped through senior goalkeeper Kami Poma's (Redlands, Calif.) legs.
"I saw (Hislop) lurking at the top of the box," said Hughes. "Usually I just try to send the ball in, but I thought ‘Why Not?' and it was a good move."
Franklin Pierce advances to its first National Championship game since 1999, when it posted a 3-1 victory over Cal Poly Pomona to claim its record fifth National Title. The Ravens are participating in their record 12th consecutive Final Four and are a perfect 5-0 in National Championship matches.
"I've been involved in some big games," said Hughes. "But this is the best feeling to get to the final. I hope we can get past this last hurdle."