Pendleton's last second goal steals title for Hawks
Nov. 8, 2008
BEVERLY, Mass. - Roger Williams University freshman forward Laurin Pendleton (Southwick, Mass.) headed home the game-winner with just 19 seconds left in regulation to help the Hawks capture The Commonwealth Coast Conference Women's Soccer Championship over Endicott College, 1-0, on Saturday afternoon in Beverly, Mass.
A back-and-forth first half ended in a draw as neither team was able to find the back of the net. Endicott's best chance of the opening frame came when Kayla Plante (Sanford, Maine) took a nice through feed from Colleen Pepin (Fairhaven, Mass.) and broke past two defenders. Despite the effort, a third Hawk came in late on the play and disrupted Plante's shot, forcing her to push it left of the goal.
It appeared Endicott would take a 1-0 lead midway through the second half as Colleen Pepin lofted a shot from 25 yards out that drifted dangerously to the left post. RWU goalkeeper Jen Garside (Londonderry, N.H.) made a stellar stop as she back peddled to the line and punched the ball harmlessly out of play.
As the closing seconds ticked away, it seemed as though the contest was destined for overtime. However Roger Williams had other thoughts as it transitioned nicely through midfield with a last second rush. Freshman Katie Fusaro (Hopkinton, Mass.) charged her way down the far left sideline where she sent a perfectly placed cross into the Endicott box. The cross met its target as 6'0" Laurin Pendleton simply out jumped the Endicott defenders, burying a header into the top-left corner to steal the win.
An evenly played contest, Roger Williams and Endicott each had two corner opportunities and the Hawks held a slight shots advantage, 13-11. Jen Garside made six saves for the visitors while senior Amy Meuse (Saugus, Mass.) took the hard-luck loss with seven saves in the setback.
With the win, the Hawks are guaranteed a berth into next week's NCAA Division III National Tournament. Endicott now must wait to see if an At Large bid is in its future. The entire tournament field will be revealed on Monday morning.