WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The George Mason women's soccer team claimed
the first lead, but sixth-seeded Northeastern advanced to the semifinal round
of the 2011 Colonial Athletic Association Championship on penalty kicks.
Second team All-CAA selection Tiana Kallenberger put Mason up 1-0 in the 84th minute, but Northeastern's
Awnalisa Walker knotted the score with her first goal of the season with 45
seconds left in regulation. After two scoreless overtime periods, Mason saw its
second consecutive tournament game go to penalty kicks. The Huskies advanced
with a 4-2 edge in PKs.
Third-seeded Mason scored the first goal in the 84th
minute on Kallenberger's team-leading seventh goal of the season. Jazmin
Cardoso and Kelly Thomas were credited with assists on the play. Thomas sent a
free kick from midfield into the box as Cardoso flicked it to Kallenberger on
the near corner and the junior completed the play into the far right corner.
The goal looked to be the game-winner until Northeastern
scored at the 89:15 mark to tie the score at 1-all. Kirby Anderson took a free
kick for the Huskies on the far side and sent it to the near post. Walker
collected the kick four yards out and slipped it around goalkeeper Lyndse
Hokanson for the equalizer.
Both teams saw a couple scoring opportunities in overtime,
but at the end of double overtime, the teams were each given five penalty kicks
in the shootout. The Huskies went first as Anderson put Northeastern up 1-0.
Mason missed its first attempt, while Hanna Terry scored to give NU a 2-0 lead.
Cardoso converted her attempt to make it 2-1 before Greta
Samuelsdottir made it 3-1. Liz Agiato and Georgina Kemp both scored on the next
two attempts to set up a 4-2 tally. All-Rookie and third team selection Paige
Burnett made the stop on Mason's final attempt to seal the victory to advance.
The Patriots (8-6-6) earned the #3 seed for the third time
in CAA Championship history, while Northeastern (9-9-2) will play in the
semifinals for the first time since 2008 when they captured the title, also as
the #6 seed.
