BOSTON – For the second straight year, Emmanuel women's soccer is headed to the NCAA Tournament, securing the conference's automatic bid, thanks to a 2-1 victory in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship Match on Saturday afternoon against the Rivier University Raiders on Clemente Field.
The win gives Emmanuel a nine-game winning streak headed into the NCAA Tournament. Clemente Field played host to Saturday's championship, as the Saints host the title game for the first time since 2009.
Tied at 1-1 with the clock ticking under 10 minutes, junior Paige Letourneau scored the goal of the season, eventually holding as the game-winner in the 81st minute. After a foul on the right-wing and a free kick crossed into the penalty area, the loose ball was corralled by Letourneau around 20 yards from goal.
After two short touches to create shooting space, Letourneau fired a right-footed attempt into the left side netting, past the Rivier diving goalie, giving the Saints a 2-1 lead.
"I knew I wasn't going to get another chance like that in the game," said Letourneau. "I got as much power and aim into that shot as I could. Wanted to curve it into the bottom corner and it went (in)."
Letourneau's 81st-minute tally is the second-latest tiebreaking goal in the GNAC Championship in the last 10 seasons.
The home side was on the board in the opening minutes, as a breezy afternoon in Boston made for difficult playing conditions for both teams. Sophomore Aleena Solano swung in a left-footed corner kick that flew over the heads of the Rivier defenders and into the far-side netting, giving the Saints a 1-0 lead.
Rivier tied the match early in the second half as first-year Bailey Gatchell drove down the left wing, turning the corner to the goal line in the Saints penalty area. Gatchell's cutback pass found the foot of junior Maya Leach, who fired a shot into a wide-open goal, tying the match.
"We were obviously disappointed to concede a goal, especially when we had a lead, but we knew that there was time left," said Saints senior co-captain Annebel Balogh de Galantha. "I'm just so proud of the team for keeping their heads up."
After coming to campus as first-years in 2022, Balogh de Galantha and senior co-captain Eva Simmons were part of a recruiting class of 16 players, as a portion of those players competed on Clemente for the final time.
"It has not been easy to overcome the physical, mental, and emotional challenges," commented Simmons. "This group has the grit and the want, and these last two seasons, we just wanted to win. We wanted to build this program by winning, and I'd say we did that."
The victory moves the Saints to 15-3-3 on the season, as they await their next opponent in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament.
Emmanuel will find out its opponent on Monday, Nov. 10, at 11:00 a.m. as part of the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Selection Show, exclusively on NCAA.com.
GNAC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
MVP: Paige Letourneau (Emmanuel)
Annebel Balogh de Galantha (Emmanuel)
Loliana Morales (Emmanuel)
Sarah Dullaghan (Emmanuel)
Liz McCormick (Emmanuel)
Samantha Franks (Rivier)
Bri Nugent (Rivier)
Lily Garey-Wright (Rivier)
Brooke McAloney (Regis)
Maeve Glavin (Regis)
Brianna Marrero (Lasell)
Mia Pinault (Lasell)
