Box Score DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Plymouth State junior Adrianna Kippenberger (Wilmington, Mass.) launched in the winning penalty kick, as the fifth-seeded Panthers rode a rock-solid 16-save performance by goalkeeper Annaliese Schmidt (Newmarket, N.H.) to advance past No. 4 seed UMass Dartmouth in the first round of the 2016 Little East Conference Tournament.
The Basics
Score: Plymouth State 0, UMass Dartmouth 0 (PSU advances on PKs, 4-3)
Records: Plymouth State (9-5-3, 3-4 LEC) | UMass Dartmouth (6-12-3, 3-4 LEC)
How it Happened
In 110 minutes, UMass Dartmouth amassed 34 shots, 16 on goal, but time and time again Schmidt and the Panther defenders came up to somehow keep the Corsairs off the board. After coming up with five saves in the first half on 13 shots by the hosts, Schmidt remained strong as UMass Dartmouth dialed up the offensive pressure in the second half.
In the 55th minute, Plymouth State's Tabitha Josefik (Manchester, N.H.) footed a save at the goal mouth on a laser shot from senior Talia D'Ambruoso (Warwick, R.I.), who had Schmidt beaten in the box. Minutes later, UMass Dartmouth senior Lucy Jensen (Boxborough, Mass.) managed to chip a ball past a diving Schmidt, but Kippenberger made the run to knock the ball off the goal line. With 28 seconds left, a Panther foul in the box gave D'Ambruoso another point-blank try, this time on a penalty kick. Again, Schmidt was there to wrap up the shot and force extra minutes.
Neither team could generate much by way of quality offensive chances in the two overtime periods, and the squads went to penalty kicks. With the margin tied a three a side, Kippenberger sent the final try for Plymouth State above the hands of UMass Dartmouth's Madison Boucher (Southampton, Mass.), sending the Panthers to the semifinals.
Inside the Numbers
- D'Ambruoso and Jensen bombarded the Panthers all night, combining for 19 shots and 11 on goal.
- The Corsairs' total of 34 shots and 16 on goal were both only the second-highest marks for UMass Dartmouth on the season; they previously registered 36 shots against Eastern Nazarene and 21 shots on goal against UMass Boston.
- Boucher capped her season with a solid outing, finishing with seven stops and turning aside a penalty kick during the shootout.
- Schmidt's total of 16 saves was just one shy of her career-high, as Plymouth State advances past the first round of the LEC Tournament for the first time since 2001.
Up Next
UMass Dartmouth wraps up the season, finishing with an overall mark of 6-12-3 and league slate of 3-4. The Panthers will travel again on Thursday, this time to square off with top-seeded Eastern Connecticut in the semifinals.
