Nighthawks Season Ends in Tough Loss to Eagles

Nashua, NH – Senior Kim Lemire (Merrimack, N.H.) belted a 20-yard strike to the top right corner with just 4:56 remaining in regulation to deliver the fourth-seeded Daniel Webster College women’s soccer team a 1-0 victory over fifth-seeded Newbury College in a in a New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) quarterfinal matchup Tuesday afternoon at Eagle Field.
 
With the victory, the Eagles advanced to the NECC semifinals and visit top seed Lesley University on Thursday in an 8:00 p.m. contest. Semifinal winners advance to the championship game slated for Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
 
The Eagles (6-8-3), making a program record third straight appearance in the post-season, advanced to the conference final four for the second time in three seasons.
 
DWC set the pace for the game, finishing with significant advantages in overall shots (17-5), shots on goal (9-3) and corner kicks (9-0). But neither team managed to generate many good scoring opportunities until Lemire broke through for the winner when she grabbed a loose ball directly in front at the top of the box for just her second goal of the season.
 
Newbury had a golden chance for an early lead midway through the first half when Maria Salamone broke past the Eagle defense with a partial breakaway and careened a shot off the far right post past Eagle keeper Amy Waller (Berlin, Mass.).
 
Newbury goalkeeper Kimberly Bibby (Brockton, Mass.) would finish with eight saves on the afternoon for the Nighthawks, who finished their season 6-10-2 overall.
 
Waller recorded three saves for the Eagles.