PROVIDENCE, R.I. – For the first time since 2007, Emmanuel women's soccer is back in the NCAA Tournament, claiming the conference automatic bid, following their 2-1 victory in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship Match at Johnson & Wales on Saturday night from Scotts Miracle-Gro Complex.

Clinching the GNAC's automatic bid not only broke a streak of 17 years without an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, but accomplished a feat the Saints had not done in nearly a decade, as Saturday night is the first victory Emmanuel women's soccer has had over Johnson & Wales since 2015.

It was a dream start for the Saints as shortly after kickoff, the visitors struck first to grab a 1-0 lead. Graduate forward Hailey Goodman started the sequence with a perfect cross-field pass to junior Liz McCormick.

Driving toward the goal line, McCormick crossed a pass into the box that eventually worked its way to Goodman. After settling the loose ball, Goodman shot a right-footer back across the frame and into the left-side netting just 33 seconds into the match for the game's opening tally.

The action in the first half reached a lull following the goal, as only four total shots were attempted in the period, all by the Saints.

It wasn't until the 44^th minute that the action picked back up as the Saints added a critical insurance goal before the half with junior Sarah Dullaghan scoring her 45^th of the season, setting another single-season record in the process.

Junior Maya Daryanani started the play after controlling a ball in the Saints midfield. Daryanani quickly turned forward and found Dullaghan in behind the Wildcats back line. With no time to settle, Dullaghan curled a right-footed shot into the same left-side netting as the first goal, giving the Saints a 2-0 lead at the break.

With that goal, Dullaghan picked up her 99^th point of the campaign, setting the single-season Division III women's soccer record for points in a season. In the GNAC Semifinal, the junior forward set the single-season goal scoring record in Division III women's soccer.

"I didn't foresee myself breaking a lot of records this season but I knew the group of girls that we had were capable of winning this championship tonight," said Dullaghan.

The four-time defending champions wouldn't go quietly, as the Wildcats would turn to offense with the wind at their back, forcing the Emmnauel backline and goalie to be nearly flawless over the final 45 minutes.

Johnson & Wales created a number of opportunities with seven shots and seven corner kicks in the second half, all turned away by the Saints until the Wildcats finally broke through in the 86^th minute with senior Angelina Oliveira scoring her eighth of the year.

A loose ball near the top of the Emmanuel penalty area found junior Sophia Iovino, who flicked on a pass to Oliveira. From 20 yards out, Oliveira volleyed the pass with a right-footed shot into the bottom right corner, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

The Saints drained away the final three minutes, holding possession in the offensive corners and drawing throw-ins as the final seconds ticked away. The Wildcats were shutout of the Saints penalty area in those final minutes as the Saints held strong for the 2-1 victory.

"Tonight, these women just wanted to come out and play proper football," said Head Coach Francis Okaroh. "My job is to put them in a position to succeed. I've coached many players in my career, and these women are among the best I've ever had the opportunity to teach."

Now in his fourth season, Okaroh earns his first GNAC Championship and trip to the NCAA Tournament. After his first season in 2021, finishing with an 8-9-2 record, Okaroh reflected on the journey to Saturday's Championship.

"When I got to Emmanuel, I didn't know when I'd get here. It's been four years of difficultly at times, and last year was when I saw we were very close," said Okaroh. "So, when I saw the time expire, I knew we arrived. It's an amazing feeling to win this."

Co-captain, junior Annebel Balogh de Galantha was crucial in the Saints victory, earning a spot on the GNAC All-Tournament Team after a fantastic performance at center back over the GNAC Postseason

"My biggest message to this team is that I'm so proud of them. We worked so hard this season," said Balogh de Galantha. "Every loose ball was fought for and every time I asked someone to give me five more minutes, they gave me those five minutes."

Fellow co-captain and junior Eva Simmons echoed the words of Balogh de Galantha after the match, sharing her perspective of this year's result.

"I'm so proud of this team and the work we put in from mid-August all the way up until now. We had some ups and some downs but I never had any doubts. I knew this was the team and group that would put in the work to win."

In their win, the Saints punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 17 years. Emmanuel will find out their First Round opponent on Monday, Nov. 11, at 2:00 p.m. with the NCAA Selection Show, exclusively on NCAA.com.