Towson, Monmouth Advance to CAA Women’s Soccer Championship Game with Late Game-Winners
Miles McQuiggan
TOWSON, Md. and HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (Oct. 29, 2023) – A goal late in regulation sent Towson to its first CAA Women’s Soccer title game, while one with penalty kicks looming propelled Monmouth to its first appearance in the final as a league member.
Towson 1, William & Mary 0
Nia Christopher’s game-winner in the 87
th minute was the game’s lone tally, as an afternoon of consistent pressure by the Towson attack lifted the top-seeded Tigers to their first CAA title game.
Towson (14-2-2) enjoyed a 16-2 shot advantage in the program’s first victory in the CAA Semifinal round, which also matched the Tigers’ single-season program record for victories. Christopher recorded two of Towson’s five shots on goal, including the deciding score on a scramble in front of the goal.
The Tigers’ pressure also kept the offense in check for William & Mary (9-4-7), which recorded its lone shot on goal in the 78
th minute that was rejected by a diving stop from
Riley Melendez. W&M received four saves from
Morgan Wood.
The victory was the 100
th in the career of CAA Coach of the Year
Katherine Vettori. Towson is the first No. 1 seed in a fall season to play for the title since Hofstra in 2019.
Towson will host its first CAA Championship final on Sunday at 1 p.m. on FloFC.
Monmouth 2, Hofstra 1 (OT)
Monmouth rebounded from an early deficit, scoring in the second half and second overtime session to earn an opportunity to play for the CAA title for the first time.
Monmouth (11-5-2) was taken beyond 90 minutes by the defending league champions for the second time in as many years but prevailed on a
Summer Reimet goal in the 108
th minute.
Hofstra (12-5-1) struck first in the 22
nd minute, as
Millie Davies launched a shot off the woodwork and
Thorhildur Thorhallsdottir was there to collect the carom and send it home for the first-half advantage.
Monmouth leveled the match in the 76
th minute, as
Liza Suydam soared a shot into the top corner of the goal to pull the Hawks even.
The teams played through a scoreless first half of overtime and seemed destined for another year’s postseason meeting decided by penalties, but a great ball ahead to
Chloe Ferreira led to a cross that took a hop off the turf before Reimet played it ahead to herself and into the goal for the eventual game-winner.
Both goalkeepers – Monmouth’s
Cassie Coster and Hofstra’s
Skylar Kuzmich – made two saves. Shots were even at 12 in a physical contest that included 36 total fouls.
Monmouth, with eight NCAA Tournament appearances on its résumé along with six MAAC titles in its decade in its former league, will look to hoist its first league title since 2021. The Hawks’ win ensures that the top two seeds will not face off for the CAA title for the seventh-consecutive tournament.
CAA Women’s Soccer Championship
Thursday, Oct. 26 – Hempstead, N.Y.
No. 3 Monmouth 3, No. 6 Stony Brook 0
Thursday, Oct. 26 – Towson, Md.
No. 5 William & Mary 1, No. 4 Northeastern 1 (W&M, 7-6 in PKs)
Sunday, Oct. 29 – Hempstead, N.Y.
No. 3 Monmouth 2, No. 2 Hofstra 1 (OT)
Sunday, Oct. 29 – Towson, Md.
No. 1 Towson 1, No. 5 William & Mary 0
Sunday, Nov. 5 – Towson, Md.
No. 3 Monmouth at No. 1 Towson – 1 p.m., FloFC
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