CHC soccer returns to NCAA Tournament

by TOM UTESCHER

When 2003 high scorer Annie Ruckdeschel wrecked her right knee in the second soccer game of the 2004 campaign, it certainly seemed to diminish Chestnut Hill College's chances of returning to the NCAA Division III championship tournament. This notion was reinforced when nagging injuries afflicted other players for the Griffins, and when CHC was thumped, 4-1, by the College of Notre Dame in a regular season showdown in the Atlantic Women's College Conference.

While outsiders had their doubts, the most important thing in the end was that the Griffin women believed in themselves, and with a pair of 3-0 victories in the AWCC Final Four Tournament in Downingtown last weekend, the local booters repeated as conference champs and secured an automatic invite to the NCAA ball.

Seeded second for the AWCC playoffs, Chestnut Hill (9-9 overall) advanced out of the quarterfinal round by beating Chatham College, 4-1, two weekends ago. In the semifinals at the United Sports Training Center last Saturday, goals by Bridget McAneny, Morgan Nichols and Meghan Smith carried the Griffins past Wilson College, which was seeded sixth. This set up another encounter with the top-seeded Gators of Notre Dame (10-8-1), who also won by a 3-0 count in their semifinal tilt with number four Mary Baldwin.

Sunday's action commenced with the third-place game, won in overtime by Wilson, 2-1. In the championship bout, the play was fairly even through much of the first half, and the action occurred largely between the 18's with few scoring threats. With about eight-and-a-half minutes remaining, CHC survived a serious scare. Griffins keeper Kelly Evans blocked an open shot by CND's Amber Hale from the middle of the box, and the Gators hit the follow-up shot up over the crossbar.

Instead, it would be Chestnut Hill which would enjoy a 1-0 edge at halftime. Smith carried the ball down the right wing, angled in towards the near post, and passed the ball across the goalmouth. From a few feet inside the left upright Steph Williams booted the ball in with 2:29 remaining in the period.

Early in the second half Williams did her bit on defense by heading the ball out of danger on a Gators corner kick, and soon the Griffins were back on the attack, securing an insurance goal with 8:35 elapsed. Notre Dame was trying to bring the ball out of its defensive half, but CHC's Stephanie Horning intercepted it and booted it back thru the row of advancing players. This set up Williams for a breakaway, and she dribbled through the left side of the box and shot the ball past CND goalie Courtney Zgraggen when the keeper came out to meet her.

About eight minutes later at the far end of the pitch, Notre Dame hit a through pass into the box, but CHC's Evans charged out and made a sliding grab on the ball right at the feet of Gators' Katrina Florek.

With 26:40 left on the clock another CHC counter resulted in the last goal of the day. Notre Dame had just gotten the ball out across the midfield stripe when Erin Bagdasarian banged it back in the other direction, allowing Rebecca Howell to scamper in and score on a breakaway.

Later on, Notre Dame's Megan Quigg hit the right post of the Chestnut Hill cage with a shot, and with three minutes to go Evans made a diving stop on an attempt by Catherine Vecchioni from the left wing. Evans would ring up 16 saves in the shutout to seven for CND's Zgraggen, and the frustrated Gator forwards came away with nothing to show for their 26-15 advantage in the shot column.