FROSTBURG, Md. - Freshman midfielder
Chelsea Paskowski (Leesburg, Va./Heritage) scored in the ninth minute of the ECAC South Region semifinal Saturday night to lift the Frostburg State women's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Alvernia.
Paskowski's goal came on a feed from
Kierstin Stevenson (Frostburg, Md./Beall) early in the first half, giving the Bobcats some breathing room against a prepared Alvernia squad, who outshot Frostburg, 8-6, in shots on goal. The Crusaders (13-7-4) kept constant pressure on the Bobcats' defense, but as has become so standard this season, those defenders stood tall.
On a team known for it's scoring prowess, players like sophomore defender
Erin Proctor (Sterling, Va./Potomac Falls), senior midfielder
Shonna Ferree (Frostburg, Md./Beall), and junior defender Nikkie Rieland (Mt. Airy, Md./South Carroll) are often overlooked. But as the Crusaders continued to pressure and fire shots towards the Frostburg goal, the backline remained sturdy.
The Bobcats were outshot, 10-8, in the second half with six coming on goal. The Frostburg defense did an excellent job, though, of limiting the quality of the chances. Junior goalkeeper
Michelle Buckmaster (St. Leonard, Md./Calvert) made eight saves to earn another shutout, though Alvernia did not muster many great scoring chances.
Sophomore forward
Amanda Wharton (Mt. Airy, Md./South Carroll) led all players in shots with seven and shots on goal with four.
The Bobcats will now face Marywood on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in the ECAC South Region Championship. Marywood defeated Grove City, 1-0, in the first semifinal tonight on an Erin Doyle goal.