Nov. 13, 2009

Box Score

Senior G Brittany Gustafson stopped three penalty kicks after 110 scoreless minutes as Merrimack bested UMass Lowell, 4-3, in a shootout following a 0-0 draw Friday afternoon in the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Tournament East Regional at The Albany Academy.

With the loss, UMass Lowell ends its season at 12-5-4 while Merrimack (13-5-4) moves on to the East Region semifinal against host Saint Rose Sunday at 1:00 at The Albany Academy.

UMass Lowell outshot the Warriors 21-4 overall and 12-0 on target, hitting the crossbar once in the first half.

With the penalty shootout tied at 3-3 after five rounds, Gustafson snuffed the possible winning attempt by freshman F Taylor Hartmann (Feeding Hills, MA), then converted Merrimack's fourth for a 4-3 lead.

Gustafson then saved an attempt by freshman F Jenna Costa (North Attleboro, MA) to enable Merrimack to move on.

Senior G Jamie Gillis (North Billerica, MA), who went untested throughout regulation and overtime, stopped two penalty kicks in Merrimack's first four attempts.

Gustafson stopped 12 shots in regulation and overtime, including eight in the first half.

The match, which goes into the record books as a draw, marked the 14th clean sheet of the season for Gillis, who ends a magnificent career with 38, both school records.

UMass Lowell enjoyed the run of play throughout most of the match and nearly capitalized in the 25th minute when Hartmann crossed to junior M Ella Merrullo (Wakefield, MA), whose volley caromed off the crossbar and over the net.

In the 55th, senior F Kelly Soper (Auburn, MA) tucked a shot off a croner kick from sophomore Maddy Bissaillon (Merrimac, MA), only for Gustafson to save.