North Andover, MA - The Wagner women's soccer team advanced to its first ever Northeast Conference (NEC) championship game with a 1-1 (3-1 PKs) victory over top-seed Merrimack on Thursday evening.

The game was all but over after the Warriors took a 1-0 lead into the final seconds of the contest. But senior Kayla Barbosa kept the season alive on a free kick goal with 31.8 seconds left to spare.

In overtime, Merrimack was the aggressor as it put up six shots. Junior Sam Hughes, however, continued her solid outing with two key saves in extra-time, including a crucial diving save in the second overtime to maintain the tie.

As the two teams headed to a penalty shootout, head coach Phil Casella turned to sophomore Shae McGinty for goalkeeping duties. The Levittown, NY native, who had made just four career appearances prior to Thursday's overtime win, delivered when it mattered most.

McGinty saved three Merrimack penalty kicks to send the Seahawks into a frenzy. The lowest-seeded team in the tournament field made history by becoming the first team in program history to clinch a championship game berth.

The Seahawks will square off with the #2 seed CCSU Blue Devils on Sunday, November 5 at 1:00 pm in New Britain, CT for a shot at punching their ticket into the NCAA Tournament.