Dukes Down Hofstra In Double-Overtime Thriller, Advance To CAA Finals

Friday, November 6

Hempstead, N.Y.

7 p.m.

James Madison University

13-6-2

Hofstra

13-5-1

OT 3

OT 4

James Madison

Hofstra

Dukes Down Hofstra In Double-Overtime Thriller, Advance To CAA Finals

11/6/2015 10:10:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Redshirt senior goalkeeper Ellen Forrest made a program-record 16 saves and a 104th-minute header by junior forward Ashley Herndon gave the James Madison a 1-0 win over Hofstra in the Colonial Athletic Association women's soccer semifinals at Hofstra Soccer Stadium Friday night.

Making a run down the left side of the field, junior defender Jennie Sroba found space as she received an overlapping pass from junior forward Sydney Braun-McLeod and sent a left-footed cross into the box where Herndon connected with a strong header into the top, right corner of the net. The goal was Herndon's second straight game-winner after scoring a 99th-minute penalty kick against Northeastern in the CAA quarterfinals.

The Dukes (13-6-2) were forced to play defensively for the majority of the game with the Pride (13-5-1) leading in shots, 31-9. Forrest kept JMU in the game with the most shots faced since No. 9 Virginia Tech tallied 20 shots on Aug. 28 in Blacksburg.

Four Hofstra players recorded at least two shots on goal with three-time CAA Player of the Year Leah Galton taking 11 shots, including five on target.

The Dukes will face William & Mary, a 1-0 semifinal winner against UNCW, at 2:30 p.m. Sunday for the title and automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. The game will be broadcast on American Sports Network, but will not air until 8:30 p.m. in the Harrisonburg area.

FULL HIGHLIGHTS - CAA.tv

PLAY OF THE GAME

WSOC: Here's a look at the @JMUWSoccer Game-Winning Goal #CAAChamps https://t.co/aIYwfdJmng
— CAASports (@CAASports) November 7, 2015

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT
Forrest played the best game of her long career at James Madison. With 16 saves, the 2015 Second Team All-CAA member breaks her career-high mark of 11, which she set on Sept. 1, 2013 against Tennessee and the program record of 14 which was met on four different occasions, the last of which being in 2001.

NOTEWORTHY
The last time James Madison won the CAA Tournament was in 2010 when the Dukes defeated the Hofstra Pride, 2-0, in Hempstead, N.Y., snapping the nation's longest winning streak of 18 games. JMU earned a 3-1 victory over the Texas Longhorns in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, played in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Dukes were then eliminated by UNC, 3-1.

QUOTING COACH LOMBARDO
"We weathered the storm and we could sense them getting frustrated in the second half," said head coach David Lombardo. "We did a better job in the overtime period of playing a more purposeful offense and connecting more passes; we knew we just needed to create one or two chances to find a goal."

ELSEWHERE IN THE CAA
In the first CAA semifinal match of the day, the No. 2-seed William & Mary Tribe defeated the No. 3-seed UNCW Seahawks, 1-0, to advance to the finals. Sunday will mark the first time W&M plays in the CAA Championship game since the 2011 season.