Box Score TEANECK, N.J. – The Second time was the charm for the Fairleigh Dickinson women's soccer team. The Knights claimed the program's first NEC Tournament Title and punched their ticket to the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance.
The top-seeded Knights beat No. 2 seed Robert Morris 1-0 in the championship game on Sunday afternoon at University Stadium. The Knights lost to Central Connecticut last season in the NEC Championship game. The win also extends the Knights' winning streak to 12 overall and 10 at University Stadium.
Fairleigh Dickinson (16-5) will find out who they will face in their first NCAA Tournament game on Monday at 4:30 p.m. when the Women's Soccer Selection Show will air on NCAA.com.
Rachel Hoekstra supplied the lone goal in the contest. The redshirt-junior got on the end of a
Jessi Reinhardt cross in the 73rd minute and headed it home past Chelsea De Jager in the Robert Morris (10-11) goal. The goal is Hoekstra's 16th of the season and third of the tournament. Reinhardt picked up her seventh assist.
Hoekstra was named Tournament Most Valuable Player after scoring three goals in the Knights' two wins to claim the title. Seniors,
Amanda Goulet,
Katey Arathoon and
Esther Rochon joined Hoekstra on the All-Tournament team from Fairleigh Dickinson.
The Knights had their chances to take the lead prior to Hoekstra's 73rd-minute tally. Fairleigh Dickinson fired 22 shots on the afternoon and forced De Jager to make nine saves.
Hoekstra got the first chance of the game inside the first minute, but her header was off target to the right.
Esther Rochon forced De Jager to make three saves inside the first 20 minutes.
The Colonials had possession in the first half but could not mount any significant possession in the Knight defensive third. The Knight backline limited the Colonials to just three shots in the opening 45 minutes and six for the afternoon. The best chance for the Colonials in the first half came via Cassie Raymond, who found space inside the box but pushed her shot wide to the left.
Moments before the halftime horn,
Noelle Picone put an effort towards goal that fell just over the crossbar.
The second half saw the Knights mount more offensive pressure but could not break the find the back of the net. Multiple Knights put shots towards the Robert Morris goal, but only Hoekstra was able to find the back of the net.
Off a Colonial corner, Kayla Kelley headed the service off the crossbar from the near right side of the box in the 70th minute. After the Knight goal, Madison Kozlowski forced
Felicia Burr to make her lone save of the afternoon to preserve the Knights 1-0 lead. Burr recorded her seventh shutout of the season and improved her record to 15-5 in 2015.
Robert Morris' final shot came via Maleha Kureishy in the 81st minute, but it was over the crossbar.
The Knights will play their first round NCAA Tournament game on either Friday, November 13, Saturday the 14th or Sunday the 15th.
