WEST HARTFORD, CT ? The University of Hartford women's soccer team was eliminated from the 2007 America East Championship in penalty kicks on Thursday night by Binghamton University at Al-Marzook Field.
The third-seeded Hawks (7-6-5 overall) rallied late in regulation to tie the game at 1-1, and two 10-minute overtime periods did not yield a golden goal. After five penalty kicks the teams were still even at 4-4, and it wasn't until the seventh round of kicks that the Bearcats advanced to Sunday's semifinals at Boston University. Binghamton won the shootout by a 6-5 final.
Binghamton (3-11-4 overall) took a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute on a score from Tricia Reed. The play started 45 yards away from the goal, as a Hartford foul gave the Bearcats a free kick. Kim Povill played a ball into the box that took a big hop and evaded goalkeeper Elizabeth Cook. Binghamton's Katie Kerrigan got a foot on the ball and directed it to Reed, who scored from a few yards out into the left corner.
The sixth-seeded Bearcats held the lead until the 77th minute, when senior Meagan Riemer found herself just outside the box with a chance to put a shot on goal. Goalkeeper Jen McEachron was in position to make the save, but the velocity on the shot kept her from making a clean stop and the ball trickled off her hands and into the net.
Hartford outshot Binghamton 5-1 in overtime but couldn't score the game-winning goal. Each team scored in the first two rounds of penalty kicks, though Hartford's third shooter missed wide right to give Binghamton an advantage. Cook evened things up in the fourth round by making a diving stop to her right to get the Hawks back in it.
The seventh round of penalty kicks was where McEachron came through with her best stop of the night. She dove to her right and deflected the shot up into the crossbar, where it rebounded away from the mouth of the goal. Kerry O'Shaughnessy then calmly buried the final kick home to end the contest.
Cook finished with three saves while McEachron recorded four. Hartford held a 13-8 edge in shots in the game.
