The Suffolk University Women's Soccer team (12-1-1, 10-2 GNAC) captured the 2010 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) regular season crown on Saturday with a 2-1 victory at Norwich University.
Freshman Gabrielle Balestrier (Mohnton, Penn.) scored with seventy-five second remaining in regulation for the game-winner giving the Rams their eighth win in a row.
Balestrier netted her 14th goal of the season and third game-winner of 2010 taking a pass from freshman Monica Wolf (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) for the late score.
Senior goalkeeper Emily Joyce (Easton, Mass.) made a season-high 14 saves in the victory for Suffolk. Joyce was under pressure all day by the Cadets who registered 34 shots total in the game. Joyce pushed aside nine shots in the first half, only allowing one score, a goal by Bianca Bogda in the game's thirty-fourth minute. Joyce made five more saves in the second half for the Rams, pushing aside each Cadets' scoring chance to give them Rams a chance for the late victory.
Freshman Natalie Favati (Singapore, Singapore) netted the Rams' first goal in the fifty-fifth minute of the contest, registering her third goal of the season to tie the game at one.
Suffolk will now be the top-seed in this year's GNAC playoffs starting on Sunday October 31. It will be the Rams first playoff appearance in their fourth-year as a varsity program.
The Rams also set some history within their 12 GNAC contests this season. Freshman Taylor Miranda (Smithtown, N.Y.) set the record for points within conference play this season with 37 and goals with 17, while junior Leslie Hayden (Ross, Calif.) set the record for assists in a season with 14.
Suffolk will conclude the regular season on Tuesday as they travel to Mass. Maritime Academy at 7:00pm.