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Josie Pecor

PREVIEW: Women's soccer to battle Bridgeport in NCAA opener

11/9/2022 4:30:00 PM

MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College women's soccer team has been selected to the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship and will take on the University of Bridgeport this Friday, Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. in the First Round.

SAINT ANSELM COLLEGE HAWKS (10-7-1, 5-6-1 NE10)
Roster | Schedule & Results | 2022 Statistics | News | Game Notes

UNIVERSITY OF BRIDGEPORT PURPLE KNIGHTS (13-3-5, 10-0-2 CACC)
Roster | Schedule & Results | 2022 Statistics | News

The Hawks (10-7-1) are seeded sixth in the eight-team East Regional and will battle the No. 3-ranked University of Bridgeport (13-3-5) on the campus of Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, N.H. The Ravens are the No. 2 seed in the East Region bracket and will host three other teams in a regional pod.

Saint Anselm qualified for the Northeast-10 Conference semifinals for the second consecutive season, something the program has not accomplished since the 1994 and 1995 campaigns. The Hawks registered 10 wins in 2022, marking consecutive seasons with double-digit wins. The women's soccer program most recently achieved that feat in the 2005 and 2006 seasons.

Bridgeport owns a 13-3-5 record and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA postseason by way of a 2-0 win over Chestnut Hill in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Championship game on Sunday. The Purple Knights captured the CACC regular season and postseason crowns in their first season within the conference and will be making its 12th appearance in the NCAA postseason in the last 15 seasons.

For the second consecutive season (and just the second time in program history), the Hawks have been selected to the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship. Live Stats and Live Video are available for the match, courtesy of Franklin Pierce University.

SCOUTING SAINT ANSELM 

  • Saint Anselm was projected to finish sixth in the annual Northeast-10 Preseason Coaches' Poll, released this past August. It was the highest placement in the poll for Saint Anselm since the 2008 squad was slotted into the fifth spot in the league. Reigning NCAA Division II National Championship runner-up, Saint Rose, captured the top spot in the poll with 10 first-place votes and 142 points.
  • Entering the 2022 season under the guidance of sixth year Head Coach Joel Bancroft, the Hawks had won their first NE10 postseason contest since 2006, defeating Bentley in the NE10 Quarterfinals, and later made the program's first NCAA Division II postseason appearance. Prior to last year's historic contest, the Hawks were four-time participants in the ECAC Division II Championship, winning in 1995.
  • Bancroft is the third winningest coach in Hawks history, owning a 43-31-13 (.569) overall record through just six seasons on the Hilltop. He joined the program in 2017 after a three-season stint at UMass Lowell (NCAA Division I), compiling 16 victories during his time in Massachusetts and is one win shy of his 60th women's soccer coaching victory.
  • Last time out, fifth-seeded Saint Anselm came out on the losing end of last Wednesday's Northeast-10 Conference semifinals tilt at the top-seeded College of Saint Rose by a 5-1 score. Junior Olivia Gotobed (North Andover, Mass.) scored her team-leading seventh goal of the season to kick off the game, but Saint Rose overwhelmed the Hawks with the game's next five goals. The Golden Knights struck four times in the second half to put the game away.
  • In the NE10 postseason opener for the Hawks, Saint Anselm locked down a 2-1 road victory at Southern Connecticut State, winning 10 games in a season for the second consecutive season. Despite staring at a 17-5 edge in shot attempts by the host Owls, Saint Anselm put home two goals in the first half to hold onto the victory. Senior Kate Macaluso (Malverne, N.Y.) turned aside seven shots on goal in the win for the Hawks, capturing NE10 Goalkeeper of the Week honors on Oct. 31.
  • Earlier this month, Gotobed was named to the NE10's All-Conference Second Team while senior Kathryn White (Georgetown, Mass.) and junior Delaney Glode (Kennebunkport, Maine) were selected to the All-Conference Third Team. Freshman Emma Hudson (Kingston, Mass.) earned placement on the league's All-Rookie Team.
  • Gotobed ranks among the NE10 leaders entering Friday's game in several key offensive statistics. She sits fifth in total goals (seven) and points (18), while producing four assists to rank ninth in the NE10 in helpers. Averaging exactly one point per game (sixth in the NE10), Gotobed is one of two student-athletes on the Hawks roster with double-digit point totals - sophomore Josie Pecor (Williston, Vt.) is second with four goals and five assists for 13 points (4-5=13).
  • White started each of her team's first 17 games for the Hawks as the senior captain has netted one goal and assisted on three others from the midfield, good for five points (1-3=5). White found the back of the goal on Sept. 5 in a win over Daemen before collecting a helper in back-to-back games on Sept. 17 against Le Moyne and Sept. 21 against Saint Michael's. She assisted on the game-winning goal against Southern New Hampshire on Oct. 19.
  • Glode, an integral part of the Saint Anselm backline, has found the back of the goal once this season, scoring what proved to be the game-winning goal against Saint Michael's on Sept. 21. The junior has aided the Saint Anselm defense to an average of 1.44 goals against this season and to four clean sheets in 2022.
  • Hudson started in 12 games in the goal for Saint Anselm as a freshman. Hudson owns a 6-5-1 record in 2022 with a 1.35 goals-against average and a 0.771 save percentage, totaling 54 saves. Hudson posted two shutouts, including one in her collegiate debut on Aug. 26 against Holy Family. Hudson made a career-high 11 saves against perennial power Bentley on Sept. 27.
  • Freshman Addie Birkett (East Greenwich, R.I.) has also been a standout performer for the Hawks in her debut season, earning NE10 Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 5. Helping the Hawks to a 2-0-0 start to the season, she assisted an insurance goal in a 4-1 victory over Wilmington (Del.) on Aug. 31 and helped her team defensively in a 2-0 shutout victory over Goldey-Beacom on Sept. 2.
  • Saint Anselm began varsity competition in 1984 under the direction of Phil Rowe, who currently serves Saint Anselm as its Associate Director of Athletics. Other coaches include Keith Dickson, the present-day Head Coach of the nationally-ranked Hawks men's basketball team, and Steve Clifford, who most recently served as the Head Coach of the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic.
  • Saint Anselm won its lone NE10 Championship in 1991, defeating Springfield on the road in overtime on Nov. 8. Jamie Kotel '95 headed home a corner kick from Tina Minnehan '95 late in the second overtime, sending the Hawks to a thrilling 1-0 victory against a formidable Springfield opponent. Aldo Zid '89 picked up National Collegiate Soccer Coaches' Association New England Coach of the Year honors for his work with the squad.
  • The Hawks won their second postseason championship in 1995, securing a 2-0 victory over New Hampshire College (present-day Southern New Hampshire University) on Nov. 5, 1995. Caroline Sheeran '99 scored what proved to be the game-winning goal just 7:18 into the contest and Kathy Dachowski '96 put the game away with an insurance goal.

SCOUTING BRIDGEPORT 

  • Bridgeport (13-3-5) is making its 12th appearance in NCAA Division II postseason play on Friday, entering the game against Saint Anselm as the No. 3 seed. The Purple Knights earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Championship, thanks to a 2-0 victory over Chestnut Hill in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference title bout.
  • Each of the team's 12 NCAA postseason appearances, including the team's 2018 NCAA Division II National Championship, have come in the last 15 seasons as the Purple Knights have compiled a 16-8-2 (.654) record in those contests.
  • The Purple Knights are unbeaten in their last 17 matches, logging 12 victories and five ties in that span. The program is one win or tie away from setting an institutional record with 18 matches without a defeat.
  • Led by CACC Women's Soccer Coach of the Year Tania Armellino, in her first season, Bridgeport has scored 55 goals on the season, ranking eighth in all of NCAA Division II in that metric, and ranks 17th nationally with 37 assists to date. The team's 2.62 goals per game lead the CACC and ranks 19th in the country.
  • Kate Thill, a First Team All-Conference forward, has put home 15 goals on the season, leading the CACC, while ranking 21st in NCAA Division II with 33 points to her credit.
  • Angelina LoFranco, the CACC Defensive Player of the Year, has posted five goals with nine assists for 19 points (5-9=19) and has helped the program post an 0.85 goals-against average to date.
  • Bridgeport goalkeeper Clara Karlsson is undefeated on the season, posting a 13-0-5 record in net for the Purple Knights. Posting an 0.77 goals-against average, she has produced nine shutouts and has made 54 saves.

ALL-TIME vs. BRIDGEPORT

  • Bridgeport enjoys a 3-2-2 record in the all-time series against Saint Anselm that dates back to Oct. 28, 1998.
  • After a series-opening tie in 1998, the Hawks won back-to-back games, winning at home on Sept. 9, 1999 and once again on Sept. 6, 2007.
  • In the last four meetings, Saint Anselm is 0-3-1 which includes a 1-0 loss to then No. 1-ranked Bridgeport on Oct. 4, 2011 at Melucci Field.
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