SPRINGFIELD, Mass. â€" Junior Alyssa Katz (Cortlandt Manor, NY) scored two goals, including the game-winner with 18:22 remaining, to lift top-seeded Western New England College to a 3-1 victory over fifth-seeded Becker College in a semifinal round game of the 2004 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Tournament.
The Golden Bears (14-7) will host second-seeded University of Maine-Farmington (a 1-0 winner over third-seeded Simmons College) at 1:00 p.m. Saturday in the championship game.
The champion of the NAC Tournament advances for the first time to the NCAA Division III Championship.
WNEC led 1-0 at half-time following a goal by junior Megan Cloutier (Greenfield, MA) with an assist from senior Adrienne Guay (Enfield, NH) only 12:35 into the game.
Becker (9-9) tied the contest on an unassisted goal by sophomore Deneiges Labbe (Lewiston, ME) 5:07 into the second half.
Katz then knocked in the winning goal in front of the net with an assist from sophomore Stephanie Gildart (Portland, ME) and added an insurance goal (her 11th of the season) with 13:40 left in the game with an assist from sophomore Audrey Kelton (Wilder, VT).
Junior Jillian Brown (Plymouth, MA) made seven saves for the Golden Bears while freshman Katy Day (Georgetown, DE) had 10 stops for the Hawks.
WNEC defeated Maine-Farmington, 3-2 in overtime, September 19 at Golden Bear Stadium.
