As the fall regular seasons wind down and postseason play begins, both Emerson men’s and women’s soccer teams entered the first round of the NEWMAC Championship tournament on Tuesday, Nov. 5, for the second and fourth times in program history, respectively.
After clinching the 6th of eight spots in the women’s tournament, the Lions faced No. 3 Smith College in the NEWMAC quarterfinals in Northampton, Mass. Emerson took the lead early in the game, as junior midfielder Linae Bezdek converted on a penalty kick only three minutes in. After that first-half goal on Nov. 5, Bezdek leads the team in goals this season with seven.
Smith’s chance to tie came in the 72nd minute, taking a free kick right outside the box. However, Lions’ senior goalkeeper Amara Schaub made the save, tipping the ball over the crossbar.
Less than 10 minutes later, Emerson put the game away as sophomore forward Zoe Simmons headed the ball into the net on a cross from senior midfielder Lauren Carlson.
While the Pioneers outshot the Lions 7-6 and held a 7-2 advantage in corner kicks, they were unable to convert and the game finished with a 2-0 Emerson win.
The Lion’s six shots came from six different players including Bezdek, first-year midfielder Kelsea Laughrey, Simmons, and senior midfielder Katie Wojcik. Schaub tallied three saves during the game, which was her 70th career start.
Next up, the Lions will face No. 7 WPI, who also ended the first round of the playoffs with a powerful upset, topping No. 2 Springfield 3-0. Their semifinal game is slated for Nov. 7 at 7 p.m., unexpectedly home at Rotch field, as the Lions are the higher seed at No. 6.
Emerson beat WPI 2-1 earlier in the season during a regular game on Oct. 30, and are hoping to replicate the outcome. Following Tuesday’s victory, the Lions improved to 7-7-5 on the season.
Meanwhile, down in New London, Conn., Emerson men’s team faced No. 3 U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA). The Lions grabbed the 6th and last spot in the tournament, entering post-season play for only the second time in program history.
Competing against Coast Guard for the second time in six days, Emerson aimed to emerge victorious again, after beating them 1-0 on Oct. 30. The Bears tallied their first goal early in the game at the three-minute mark. Emerson countered only 10 minutes later, however, as first-year midfielder Riler Selman converted on a pass from senior forward Teddy Bushara and tied the game 1-1.
The Lions upped the ante again in the 29th minute, with sophomore forward Thomas Pelino bringing Emerson their first lead of the game at 2-1. Pelino led the team with four shots and two of those on goal during this game.
The score remained 2-1 Emerson at half, but the Lions missed a chance to double their lead with 7:54 left in the first half on a barely wide shot.
Coast Guard came out of halftime determined to even the score and succeeded in the 58th minute. The Bears also missed a chance to finalize the game with sophomore goalkeeper Beckett Hobbs leaping to deflect a shot just over the goalpost.
The Bears dominated possession in the second half and came close multiple times to topping the Lions in regulation but just couldn’t put the ball in the net. Thus the quarterfinal game was forced into overtime.
The momentum of the second half only continued for the Bears, and they slotted the golden goal just four minutes into OT to finish with a 3-2 win.
“Give Emerson credit—they stuck to their low block and countered on us twice, scoring two good goals,” USCGA head coach Chris Parsons said.
USCGA will face No. 2 Salve Regina on Nov. 7, as the Lions finish 7-10-2 and begin preparing for next season.
