(5) New Haven at (1) Saint Rose
Northeast-10 Championship Semifinal
Albany, N.Y. – Plumeri Sports Complex
Friday, Nov. 8 – 4 p.m.
Live Video | Live Stats
 
Coming off of the first Northeast-10 postseason win in program history, the University of New Haven women's soccer team travels to top-seeded and No. 4 nationally-ranked Saint Rose on Friday, Nov. 8 for a semifinal match.
 
The Chargers enter the semifinal round with a record of 11-4-3 overall. New Haven defeated fourth-seeded Merrimack, 5-1, on Tuesday in North Andover in an NE-10 Championship Quarterfinal. In addition to the Chargers' first-ever Northeast-10 Championship win in six seasons as a member of the conference, today marked the team's first postseason win of any kind since 2005. In that season, New Haven won a NYCAC Championship Semifinal match against Bridgeport on Nov. 4 and, one week later, picked up the program's only NCAA postseason win with a victory over C.W. Post.
 
As announced today, the Chargers boast five All-Northeast-10 student-athletes on their roster. Headlining that list are First Team All-NE-10 forwards Amber Simms (Southport, England/Southport) and Monica Yanez (West Haven, Conn./West Haven).
 
Simms is New Haven's leading scorer this fall with 13 goals and seven assists to tally 33 total points. She ranks second in the Northeast-10 in both goals and points behind American International's Sonia Basma – a fellow First Team forward and the 2013 NE-10 Player of the Year. Simms' seven helpers are good for fourth in the conference.
 
Yanez claimed her second-straight First Team All-Northeast-10 distinction with 12 goals and five assists through 18 matches this fall. She ranks third in goals and total points (29) among all NE-10 student-athletes behind Basma and Simms.
 
In the midfield, Nicole Pacapelli (West Haven, Conn./West Haven / Stonehill College) took home Second Team All-NE-10 honors and Marisa Garcia (Babylon, N.Y./West Babylon) earned a place as Third Team All-Conference. Amanda Hathaway (Stillwater, N.Y./Stillwater) represented the New Haven back line with a Third Team nod.
 
New Haven's five-goal output at Merrimack on Tuesday was fueled by two markers and five total points apiece from Simms and Courtney Marra (New Fairfield, Conn./Immaculate). Garcia added a goal and an assist, and Yanez handed out two helpers. Natasha Purchla (Oakdale, N.Y./Connetquot) made six saves in goal.
 
Saint Rose is one of five remaining unbeaten teams in Division II with a record of 17-0-2. The Golden Knights have ceded just three goals this fall, one of which was tallied by Yanez in the Chargers' 2-1 regular-season loss in Albany on Oct. 30.
 
With 10 goals and five assists, First Team All-Northeast-10 midfielder Sydney Bond leads the Golden Knights' offense. The Saint Rose defense was also lauded thoroughly by the NE-10 head coaches. Goalkeeper Jessica Gerski landed on the All-NE-10 Second Team with three from her back line – Jourdan Thompson, La'Quilla Upton and Nicole Shively – also claiming conference honors. In total, Saint Rose boasts 10 All-NE-10 performers.
 
The winner will advance to Sunday's Northeast-10 Championship Match to meet the victor of Friday's other semifinal featuring Adelphi at American International. As the lowest-remaining seed, New Haven would remain on the road regardless of its Sunday opponent. Saint Rose has earned the right to host throughout the NE-10 postseason.