DANBURY, CT – After failing to score on a penalty kick in the first half, senior Rebecca Rivera (Monroe, CT) scored the only goal of the game in the second half for the Western Connecticut State University women's soccer team in a 1-0 victory over UMass Boston in an LEC semifinal matchup Thursday night at the Westside Athletic Complex. 

Western controlled the ball in the UMass Boston end of the field for most of the game's first 15 minutes, holding a 6-1 edge in shots and a 3-0 advantage in corner kicks. 

In the game's fifth minute, Western earned the game's first quality scoring chance when senior Kelsey Chacho (Plainville, CT) attacked the left side of the UMass Boston defense and centered the ball to sophomore Autumn Sorice (Bethel, CT).  Sorice met the ball in stride, but her shot was smothered by the UMass Boston goalie to keep the game scoreless. 

At the 16:47 mark of the first half, Western was awarded a corner kick that was taken by junior Celia DeVoe (Farmington, CT).  DeVoe's kick was placed perfectly in the middle of the box just outside the face of the goal and Western appeared to take a 1-0 lead when the ball ended up in the back of the goal, but Western was called for a hand-ball on the play and the score remained 0-0. 

With 24 minutes played, Sorice was taken down by a UMass Boston defender just a few feet outside the right post of the goal and Western was awarded a penalty kick.  Rivera took the penalty for the Colonials, but her shot low to the right side of the goal was deflected just outside the post by UMass Boston's keeper, freshman Alyssa Fugiel (Easthampton, MA), keeping the game deadlocked at 0-0. 

With just under two minutes remaining in the first half Western earned another corner kick that was taken by DeVoe from the left side.  Her pass went across the face of the goal and landed on the foot of sophomore Samantha Carbonell (Berlin, CT), but Carbonell's shot sailed over the crossbar and out of play.  At the half, Western held a 16-2 lead in shots, but the scoreboard still read 0-0. 

At the 58:31 mark of the second half Western was awarded another corner kick, and again it was taken by DeVoe, this time on the right side.  DeVoe's pass again went across the face of the goal where it was headed cleanly by Rivera.  Rivera's attempt was batted down by the UMass Boston keeper, landing on the turf in the center of the goal just feet away from the goal line.  Rivera managed to get a foot on the ball in a crowd of both defenders and team mates, punching the ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 Western lead. 

Western continued to pressure the UMass Boston defense, testing the Beacons' keeper frequently as the second half wound down, but the Colonials were not able to get another goal past Fugiel and Western's final margin of victory remained 1-0. 

For the game, Western finished with a commanding 30-6 advantage in shots, as well as a 7-2 edge in corner kicks.  Western's keeper, sophomore Jillian Fernandez (Columbia, CT) finished with three saves in the victory for Western, while Fugiel had a heroic effort with 17 saves for UMass Boston, but suffers the loss. 

With the win, Western's season record moves to 15-5-1, while UMass Boston falls to 6-12-3.  The Colonials advance to the Little East Conference Tournament championship game and will host #5 seeded Keene State, who defeated the tournament's top seed Eastern Connecticut in the day's other semifinal matchup, 2-1.  Western and Keene State will square off at the WAC on Saturday, November 7.  Game time will be announced on Friday.