Ithaca Captures Empire 8 Women's Soccer Championship Title
November 3, 2007
No. 1 Ithaca 2, No. 3 Nazareth 1
From Ithaca College Release
ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Ithaca women's soccer team (16-3-0) defeated Nazareth
2-1 Saturday to win the Empire 8 title and the league's automatic bid
to the NCAA playoffs. Sophomore forward Winnie Adrien (Blair Academy/Selden)
scored both goals and was named the Empire 8 Championship MVP.
Sophomore Amy Scheffer (Schenectady/Schalmont) assisted on both of Adrien’s
goals. Scheffer also assisted on two goals in Ithaca’s win in the
conference semifinals over Utica.
Nazareth got on the board first with a goal by Kelly Finn in the 11th
minute. Adrien tied the score seven minutes later, taking a through ball
from Scheffer, beating a Nazareth defender and driving the ball past Golden
Flyer goalkeeper Hillary Simon.
Ithaca took the lead in the 57th minute when a free kick by Scheffer skipped
off Simon’s hands and bounced to Adrien. She knocked the ball into
the open net for the game-winning goal. The tally was Adrien’s fourth
game-winning goal of the season.
The Bombers held the Golden Flyers to just two shots in the second half.
Senior goalie Aimee Meacham (Massena/Massena) made four saves in the contest
for Ithaca. Simon made six saves for Nazareth.
The Bombers won the Empire 8 Championship Tournament outright for the
first time after splitting the title with Nazareth three times in the
past. The contest was fifth meeting between Ithaca and Nazareth in the
Empire 8 Tournament championship match. This was the first final not decided
by penalty kicks – Nazareth defeated Ithaca in penalty kicks in 2002
with Ithaca winning in penalty kicks from 2003 to 2005. Nazareth beat
Ithaca in the semifinal round last season.
Ithaca will make its fifth straight NCAA playoff appearance (and tenth in the past 12 years).