HARRISONBURG, Va. - A penalty kick by junior forward Ashley Herndon in the first sudden-death overtime period was the difference in the James Madison women's soccer team's 1-0 win over Northeastern (11-8-1) in the Colonial Athletic Association Quarterfinals at University Park on Sunday. The two-time reigning champion Huskies are eliminated from the tournament.
In the 99th minute, a Huskie defender extended a leg and tripped junior midfielder Allie Bunner inside the 18-yard box. The head judge awarded JMU with a penalty kick and, without hesitation, Herndon stepped up to the penalty marker with the game on the line. She buried the shot into the bottom, right corner of the net past the diving goalkeeper, who guessed the right way but was unable to reach the ball.
James Madison (12-6-2) controlled the flow of the game in the first half, leading in shots 7-4 at the break, but the Huskies made a strong push in the second half to finish the game with a 15-14 advantage in shots. NU goalkeeper Nathalie Nidetch made four saves to keep the Dukes scoreless through regulation, and JMU redshirt senior goalkeeper Ellen Forrest made six of her own, including a leaping save in the 82nd minute to push a well-placed strike just over the crossbar.
With the win, the Dukes advance to the CAA Tournament semifinal round, where they will take on top-seeded Hofstra in Hempstead, N.Y. The start time is still to be determined.
HIGHLIGHTS
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT Ellen Forrest earned her ninth clean sheet of 2015, passing Diane Wszalek's 2010 mark for the most in a single season in program history.
COACH'S QUOTE "Our upperclassmen showed a lot of leadership today and that was the key to winning this game," said head coach David Lombardo. "We showed a will to win against a very good opponent and managed to find a way." Â TWEET OF THE GAME Â
PHOTO OF THE GAME Â ELSEWHERE IN THE CAA In Sunday's other CAA Quarterfinal matchup between No. 3 UNCW and No. 6 Delaware, the Seahawks came out firing to win 4-0. Maddie McCormick continued her hot streak with two goals and an assist in the winning effort.
LOOKING AHEAD Following a 1-1, double-overtime draw with Hofstra back on Oct. 11, JMU leads the all-time series with the Pride, 9-6-3. Hofstra, who received votes in the most recent NSCAA National Coach's Poll, features senior forward Leah Galton who leads the CAA in points with 28Â on 11 goals and six assists.