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New Britain, CT - The Wagner women's soccer team is set to take on CCSU in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship game on Sunday, November 5 at 1:00 pm.

Playoff Recap
The Seahawks entered the NEC Tournament as the #6 seed — the lowest seed in the field. In their first round matchup at #3 seed FDU, the Seahawks became the first #6 seed to advance since the field expanded last season with a 3-0 victory over the defending champions.
 

NEC Tournament | Wagner - Merrimack: The Mini Movie 🎥⚽️ pic.twitter.com/5RjI0LZrGp

— WagnerCollege Soccer (@WagWSoccer) November 3, 2023

Graduate student Madison Carr, freshman Jess Maraia and junior Olivia Rubbo all scored in the first half to catapult Wagner into the semifinals.

Next up for the Green & White was a road matchup at top-seeded Merrimack. With 31.8 seconds remaining in the game, senior Kayla Barbosa saved Wagner's season with a free kick goal. After overtime was finished, sophomore Shae McGinty stepped up to the task in penalty kicks as the Seahawks made more history by earning a shootout victory over Merrimack.

The victory sent Wagner to its first NEC Championship game in program history. Wagner became the lowest seed to ever make the title game, as well as the lowest-seeded team to advance to the NEC championship game since #4 seed Sacred Heart did in 2004.

Last Time Against CCSU
These two teams squared off to conclude the regular season on October 26, with the Blue Devils coming away victorious by a score of 2-1.

CCSU scored in the third minute of the contest, but freshman Sara Wiedeman netted the equalizer with 24 minutes remaining. A 77th minute from the Blue Devils, however, sent the Seahawks to the bottom of the NEC Tournament bracket.

Junior Sam Hughes made a season-high ten saves in the defeat.

About CCSU
The Blue Devils sat near the top of the NEC standings for much of the season, ultimately missing out on the top seed by one point on the leaderboard.

Despite slotting in as the #2 seed, CCSU didn't lose a game against NEC competition with a 7-0-3 record in conference play. Overall, the Blue Devils sit at 10-4-4.

In similar late-game heroic fashion, CCSU survived its semifinal matchup versus #3 Howard thanks to an 88th minute penalty kick delivered by All-NEC First Team recipient Aoife Horgan.

The Blue Devils would eventually net the game-winner in overtime to advance to their 17th conference championship match.

What's At Stake
Head coach Phil Casella's squad will be vying for the program's first NEC title and subsequent NCAA Tournament berth on Sunday.

The Seahawks have a chance to run the proverbial gauntlet in the NEC, defeating the top three seeds in the field on the way to a championship.

They will be looking to become the third lowest-seeded team in the field to win the NEC Tournament (Long Island in 1999 and Sacred Heart in 2001).