Women's soccer to get Williams in playoffs

LEWISTON, Maine --- The Colby College women's soccer team fell 1-0 to Bates College on Friday, but the Mules are still headed to the New England Small College Athletic Conference playoffs.

Colby (6-7-1, 2-6-1 NESCAC), the eighth seed, had already clinched a playoff spot and will visit top-seeded and defending champions Williams College at noon on Sunday in a NESCAC quarterfinal game.

Bates first-year midfielder Sam Rose (Toronto, Ontario) blasted a 35-yard shot into the net in the first half, and the goal stood up as the game-winner. The Bobcats finish the season 5-8-1 overall and 2-7 in conference play.

Rose scored her first collegiate goal in the 36th minute of the contest. Following a stymied Bates attack on the Colby goal, Rose collected the ball near midfield and launched a high, powerful shot that sailed too high for Mules junior goalie Loni Pisani (Kanata, Ontario) to reach but ducked under the crossbar for a 1-0 Bates lead.

Both Pisani and Bates sophomore keeper Annie Burns (Topsfield, Mass.) were tested throughout the game, with both sides able to assemble numerous scoring chances. Pisani finished with nine saves, and Burns turned back eight Colby shots.

Colby dialed up the offensive pressure in the final 15 minutes of the game. In the 76th minute junior back Su-Lin Del Guercio (Parsippany, N.J.) had a clear shot that fired wide left, and it was followed a minute later by senior Lexi Bohonnon's (Madison, Conn.) shot, saved by Burns. In the 81st minute, first-year back Lisa Hoopes (Ipswich, Mass.) got a foot on a Del Guercio corner kick deep in the Bates box but was thwarted by Burns.

Colby had a slim 18-17 edge in shots taken, while Bates had a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks for the game.

Bates 1, Colby 0

Colby                     0#0---0

Bates                     1#0---1

1^st half

B: Sam Rose, 35:30

                Shots: Colby 17, Bates 18. Goalies: Loni Pisani (Colby, 90:00, 1 GA, 9 saves); Annie Burns (Bates, 90:00, 0 GA, 8 saves).

2009 WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP

Sunday, November 1 at Higher Seeds

Quarterfinal Games
No. 8 Colby at No. 1 Williams – 12:00 pm

No. 7 Wesleyan at No. 2 Amherst – 12:00 pm

No. 6 Bowdoin at No. 3 Middlebury – 12:00 pm 

No. 5 Trinity at No. 4 Tufts – 12:00 pm

Saturday, November 7 at Highest Remaining Seed

Semifinals – games at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.  

Highest remaining seed vs. lowest remaining seed

Remaining first round winners

Sunday, November 8
Final – 12:00 pm  

Semifinal winners