BRIGHTON, Mass. – Elms (9-8) avenged a 2-0 shutout on their home turf in late September with a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) upset, defeating fourth seed Simmons (10-6), 2-1, on a rain soaked Saturday morning.
The two teams battled back-and-forth throughout a scoreless first quarter. Simmons control the majority of the game, keeping possession in the Blazers defensive zone. It wasn't until midway through the second quarter when Elms finally broke up the stalemate. Carissa Ramirez connected with Melanie Ward to give the Blazer a 1-0 advantage.
It appeared as if the Blazers would be able to hang on for the win as they kept the pressure the Sharks, beating out Simmons to loose balls throughout the match. But with six minutes to play in regulation, following a scramble in front of the net, junior Maddie Beckwith buried the equalizer home to force overtime.
Following a scoreless overtime period that forced a second overtime. Two minutes into the second overtime, Ramirez registered the game-winner in the 78th minute to send the Blazers to the GNAC Semifinals. The Sharks close out the season at 10-6 overall.
SIMMONS HIGHLIGHTS
- Junior Maddie Beckwith scored the equalizer in the 54th minute for her sixth goal of the season.
- Fellow junior, goalkeeper Emma Sheehan registered four saves in 78 minutes.