BOSTON – Devan Booth scored in the 30th minute and Janiya Matier made 11 saves as second-seeded UMass Boston defeated sixth-seeded Keene State, 1-0, in the semifinals of the Little East Conference (LEC) Women’s Soccer Championship on Wednesday. Matier made eight of her saves after halftime as the Beacons held off a 15-shot second half from the Owls.
The Records
UMass Boston (7-6-5, 5-2-1 Little East)
Keene State (7-8-4, 3-3-2 Little East)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Matier stopped early shots from Kaylee Cormier and Elizabeth Tschudin before UMass Boston broke through following a corner kick. Keene State goalkeeper Michaela DiCicco saved Booth’s initial shot and Jada Lucas cleared Cloe Kapetanakos’ follow-up, but Booth scored off an assist from Kapetanakos at 29:13.
Keene State nearly equalized in the 40th minute when Mariella Tsitsonis hit the crossbar. Matier turned away Kylie Rapoza shortly afterward to preserve the Beacons’ 1-0 lead at halftime.
The Owls kept the pressure on after the break. Matier denied Cormier twice in the opening five minutes of the second half, then stopped shots from Kayla DiPasquale and Eleanor Leland. DiCicco kept Keene State within a goal when she saved Alexis Williamson’s penalty kick at 69:34.
Matier stopped Rapoza twice more in the 83rd minute and saved an Elise Saab header at 88:30. Keene State earned another corner immediately after the save, but Saab’s final shot went wide.
Inside The Statistics
- Matier stopped all 11 shots she faced, including eight in the second half.
- Tschudin led all players with seven shots. Rapoza put four of her five shots on goal, and Cormier put three of her five on target.
- DiCicco made two saves, including the penalty kick stop. Lucas added a defensive save.
- Keene State outshot UMass Boston 23-11, including 15-3 in the second half. Both teams earned six corner kicks.
Up Next
UMass Boston travels to top-seeded Eastern Connecticut for the LEC championship match on Saturday, Nov. 7. Eastern Connecticut advanced with a 3-0 win over Rhode Island College.