Box Score WATERBURY, Conn. – Felician College junior Alysia Arcona (Hackettstown, N.J) broke a 2-2 tie with a 73rd minute penalty kick, and the Golden Falcons went on to a 3-2 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference women's soccer victory over host Post University on Tuesday afternoon at LaMoy Field. The match ended regular-season play for both schools.
The victory proved crucial in Felician's battle with Dominican (N.Y.) College for the eighth and final CACC Tournament berth. Dominican earned a 2-1 double-overtime home win over Bloomfield College later on Tuesday to tie Felician (7-8-1, 5-6-1) with 16 points. The Chargers need to defeat or tie third-place Caldwell College on Thursday to qualify, or else Felician would earn the No. 8 seed over Dominican on a tiebreaker.
On Tuesday, the Golden Falcons had the better of play in the early going. Felician got off nine shots in the first 20 minutes, and cashed in twice. Only three minutes, 23 seconds, into the match, a cross into the 18-yard box from Emily Gleason (East Hanover, N.J.) found the foot of freshman Macki Groves (Millville, N.J.), who volleyed it into the net. It was the sixth goal of the season for Groves, the reigning CACC Rookie of the Week, and the team-high sixth assist for Gleason.
Felician struck again in the 18th minute when sophomore midfielder Jordan Farley (Brick, N.J.) found the back of the net from 20 yards out on the right side. The visitors took the 2-0 edge into halftime with an 11-4 shot advantage.
The match tightened when, 13:38 into the second half, the Eagles (4-12, 3-9) were awarded a penalty kick, which Sabrina Sinopoli (Watertown, Conn.) converted. Fewer than two minutes later, Post got the equalizer on a close-range shot by Brina Yanez (West Haven, Conn.) following a scramble in front of the net.
But with 17:52 left in regulation, Gleason was making an end line run when she was fouled in the penalty area. Arcona improved to 4 for 4 on penalty kicks this season when she made the ensuing award for her team-high 12th goal of 2012. The Eagles' best chance thereafter came on an 85th minute corner kick, but a header by Danielle Charette (Naugatuck, Conn.) went wide.
Felician senior goalkeeper Allie Couzo (Sayreville, N.J.) made four saves, including three in the second half. Grace McConnell (Leeds, England) stopped seven shots for Post. The Golden Falcons led in shots, 17-12, for the game.
