(5) New Haven at (4) Merrimack
Northeast-10 Championship Quarterfinal
North Andover, Mass. - Martone-Mejail Field
Tuesday, Nov. 5 - 4 p.m.
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For the second-straight season and the fifth time in six as a member of the Northeast-10 Conference, the University of New Haven women's soccer team has qualified for the NE-10 Championship. The 2013 Chargers begin their postseason quest as the fifth-seed with a trip to fourth-seeded Merrimack on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
 
New Haven enters the quarterfinal round of the Northeast-10 Championship with a record of 10-4-3 overall and 8-4-2 in conference play. The Chargers set a program record for NE-10 wins this fall, topping the mark of six victories in league play accomplished last season. The Blue and Gold also reached a new program best, tying for fourth-place in the NE-10 standings.
 
The Chargers are led offensively by Monica Yanez (West Haven, Conn./West Haven) and Amber Simms (Southport, England/Southport). Yanez, who was a 2012 First Team NSCAA All-Region and All-Northeast-10 honoree, leads the club with 12 goals for the second-straight campaign. She ranks second in the conference in goals and third in total points with 27. Yanez also merited Capital One Academic All-District honors for her efforts in the classroom.
 
Simms has racked up a team-high 28 points – good for second in the Northeast-10 – courtesy of 11 goals and a team-leading six assists. The junior was a Third Team All-Northeast-10 selection is each of her two previous seasons at New Haven.
 
Nicole Pacapelli (West Haven, Conn./West Haven / Stonehill College) has added three goals and two assists with Marisa Garcia (Babylon, N.Y./West Babylon) picking up two goals and two assists. In addition to helming the defense at center back, Amanda Hathaway (Stillwater, N.Y./Stillwater) has registered five assists.
 
Natasha Purchla (Oakdale, N.Y./Connetquot) has played the majority of the minutes in goal for the Chargers. She owns a 0.83 goals-against average and an .853 save percentage. Purchla has recorded three solo shutouts in addition to playing the first half of a combined clean sheet with Moriah Saidel (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee).
 
Though the Chargers and Merrimack tied for fourth place in the regular season standings, the Warriors earned home-field advantage for Tuesday's matchup by virtue of a 3-2 overtime win in the lone head-to-head meeting between the two teams on Oct. 5 in North Andover. Courtney Marra (New Fairfield, Conn./Immaculate) and Amber Simms (Southport, England/Southport) scored for the Chargers, and Danielle Dion netted the 101st-minute game-winner for the home team.
 
Jenna Savi leads Merrimack offensively with seven goals, and Dion has added five goals and a team-high five assists. Nicole Curtis has played all but 78 minutes between the posts for the Warriors. The senior goalkeeper boasts a 1.06 goals-against average, a .811 save percentage and five solo shutouts.
 
The winner of the New Haven-Merrimack matchup will meet either top-seeded Saint Rose – the fifth-ranked team in the nation – or eighth-seeded Franklin Pierce. The semifinal round of the NE-10 Championship is set for Friday, Nov. 8.