Frostburg State University Athletics

FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Women's Soccer team made history on Sunday afternoon by winning the program's first-ever Mountain East Conference Tournament Championship with a 4-1 victory against No. 24 Fairmont State in the title game.
 
In a match-up that pitted the top two conference records against one another, the Bobcats entered as North Division champions, defeating the Fighting Falcons 1-0 in the regular season finale to secure the one seed and right to host. Fairmont came into the game with a 16-1-3 overall record, going 12-1-3 in conference play and having defeated West Virginia Wesleyan in the quarterfinals and Davis & Elkins in the semifinals to reach the championship.
 
Frostburg started on the front foot, as just over four minutes in, junior Rayiah Davis got a pass at the top of the box and cut inside her defender, sending a shot right into the chest of keeper Olivia Johnston, then three minutes later, the Bobcats earned a corner kick from which junior Cassidy Paige had a goal-bound effort blocked. The Falcons were then able to flip the field at the 10-minute mark, earning a throw-in that was headed into the path of Arrington Sparks, who spun to her left foot and fired past senior Mia Graff in goal to put home the game's opening score.
 
Fairmont kept up their pressure over the next eight minutes, as Emelly Chicas headed just wide from a corner while Sam Yuen had a curler go just the wrong side of the post. 20 minutes in, Frostburg was awarded a free kick from outside the top left corner of the box, where on a well-worked routine, senior Madison Hinton slid a pass on the ground to junior Cassidy Paige, who was able to round Johnston and see her shot deflected in off a Falcon leg to tie things at 1-1.
 
The Bobcat defense then blocked a hit from the top of the 18 before junior Ana Davis tried her luck from distance, firing over the bar. Just before a half hour passed, Frostburg worked the ball into midfield where Hinton played through to junior Rayiah Davis, who played a perfect one-touch pass down the right wing to Paige, as her cross found freshman Kelly Dougherty making a run to the middle of the six-yard box to finish home and put the Bobcats up 2-1.
 
Now sensing an ascendancy, Dougherty pressed high against the Fairmont back line, which eventually created a chance for Rayiah Davis to hit a shot just wide, while a few minutes later, the former lofted a volley over the bar following a defensive miscue. Inside the final 10 minutes of the half, junior Elena Fernandez had an effort deflected behind for a corner, as junior Madison Hobson sent it to the middle of the box and freshman Mia Hudson, who had come onto the field just seconds earlier, hit the ball into the back of the net for a 3-1 advantage. With the final chance of the first 45, Hobson played a ball over top for Fernandez to run onto, as she cut into the box and tried to beat Johnston with the outside of her right foot, but the netminder tipped the ball around the post and out to end the half.
 
Desperate to find a way back into the game, the Falcons opened the second half with four shots in the opening 10 minutes, the first seeing Graff sprawl to her left to deny Dayra Dinarte, the next two blocked by the Bobcat defense, and the final being Graff easily catching a hit off the foot of Braylyn Sparks. Having been happy to sit back and absorb some pressure, Frostburg broke out after 10 minutes, where Paige and junior Mollie Rebuck combined to win the ball at midfield, where the latter shot from outside the box into the arms of Johnston.
 
Fairmont nearly had a foothold in the game three minutes later, as a long ball over top found Arrington Sparks, who cut in on her right foot and looked to find the roof of the net but hit just over the bar. She had another opportunity eight minutes afterward, finding a bit of space just outside the 18 but dragged her shot well wide of goal. Having introduced some fresh legs, the Bobcats broke out of their shell after 25 minutes, as Ana Davis played a ball through to sophomore Reese Rizzo, who nearly had a déjà vu cross to Dougherty but this time couldn't keep her shot on frame.
 
Dougherty had another chance three minutes later after some effective pressing from Fernandez to win the ball back but shot from too far away to trouble Johnston on a save. At the other end, Valentina Gianinetto hit a well-placed effort that Graff had to tip away for a corner, as she parried at her near post to keep out of danger again. After a quick change of possession, Dougherty won the ball at midfield and surged towards the Fairmont defense, playing a perfectly-weighted ball to Fernandez, who was denied by an onrushing Johnston on her first attempt but recovering and calmly hitting past the last defender from just outside the box for her first goal of the season and a 4-1 lead.
 
In the final 10 minutes, the Falcons pressed to get something more out of the game, with a shot being blocked, another going high and wide, and Graff denying a third on a long free kick from Agnes Bjork. One final effort taking from deep was chested down by Graff, as the Bobcats were able to run down the clock and storm the field as the final horn sounded on the 4-1 victory.
 
Each side had 15 shots in the contest, with Frostburg holding a 9-5 advantage in efforts on target.
 
With the result, both teams now have an overall record of 16-2-3 and will look to the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on Monday, November 9 at 7 p.m. to find out their seeding in the Atlantic Region. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.