STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The No. 2 seed Wagner College women's soccer team will host its first NEC Championship match in program history on Sunday, November 9, at 1:00 p.m. against No. 4 seed Central Connecticut State. The title match will take place on Hameline Field and stream live on ESPN+ with Sam Kuperman and Christine Huber on the call.
NEC Tournament Format
The top four teams in the NEC standings qualified for the 2025 tournament, with FDU earning the top seed followed by Wagner, Howard, and CCSU. On Thursday, CCSU upset No. 1 FDU, 1–0, while the Seahawks advanced to the final with a dramatic 3–2 double-overtime victory over Howard. The higher seed hosts each round of the tournament.
Wagner in the NEC Tournament
This weekend marks Wagner's fifth NEC Tournament appearance, third straight trip, and second all-time appearance in the final. The Seahawks own a 3–4 postseason record entering Sunday's contest. Last season, Wagner also entered as the No. 2 seed, falling to No. 3 FDU in the semifinals, 3–0. In 2023, the Green & White reached the final as the No. 6 seed before dropping a 4–3 decision in penalty kicks to CCSU.
Scouting the Blue Devils
Fourth-seeded CCSU enters Sunday's championship with a 7–5–5 overall record and a 6–1–4 mark in NEC play. The Blue Devils advanced after defeating top-seeded FDU, 1–0, in Thursday's semifinal, scoring in the 51st minute and withstanding a 22–3 shot disadvantage.
CCSU collected three major NEC awards this season — Defensive Player of the Year (Emma Radoncic), Goalkeeper of the Year (Melina Ford), and Rookie of the Year (Gabrielle Smith) — and placed six players on All-NEC teams. The Blue Devils own a 13–2 all-time record in NEC title games and have won each of their last five championship appearances.
Series History
Sunday's matchup marks the 31st all-time meeting between Wagner and CCSU in a series dating back to 1998. The Blue Devils lead the series 25–2–3. Earlier this season, the teams opened NEC play with a 3–3 draw on September 18. The programs also met in the 2023 NEC Championship, where CCSU prevailed, 4–3, in penalty kicks.
Last Time Out
The Seahawks edged No. 3 Howard, 3–2, in double overtime on Thursday night, with senior Izzy Gomez netting the golden goal to send Wagner to the title match.
Seahawks Earn All-NEC Honors
Five Seahawks earned All-NEC recognition ahead of the postseason. Sophomore defender Hailey Knapp earned First Team honors, while senior Izzy Gomez and junior Alana Goldsmith were named to the Second Team. Freshmen Riley Frederick and Abigail Marcello both earned spots on the All-Rookie Team.
Knapp anchored a defensive unit that posted nine shutouts and allowed a league-low 14 goals, while also contributing offensively with a game-winning goal against Rider and two assists.
Gomez appeared in 14 games, starting 13, and tallied seven goals and one assist, ranking fourth in the NEC in goals. She was named NEC Player of the Week twice this season.
Goldsmith added four goals and four assists across 16 appearances, ranking eighth in the NEC in assists and finishing fourth on the team in minutes played (1,232).
Frederick scored in each of Wagner's final two regular-season matches, closing the season with three goals and three assists in 15 appearances.
Marcello posted six shutouts in 10 appearances, allowing just seven goals while recording a conference-best 0.792 goals-against average.
This marks the second straight year Wagner has had multiple players named to the All-Rookie Team.
Up Next
The winner of Sunday's NEC Championship will receive the league's automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament. The NCAA Selection Show is set for November 10, with first-round matches taking place November 14–16. The tournament culminates with the Women's College Cup, held December 5–8 at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
