Garnet Women Go Back to Back, Win ECAC South Championships
FROSTBURG, Md. -- Swarthmore senior goalkeeper Lauren Walker stopped Frostburg's first attempt in the penalty-kick shootout and the Garnet converted all five of their attempts to capture the 2008 ECAC South Region Championship Sunday afternoon in snowy western Maryland. Walker was named Tournament MVP as the Garnet win their second consecutive ECAC South Championship.
Walker (Fallston, Md. / The Hotchkiss [CT]) was named Tournament MVP as the Garnet win their second consecutive ECAC South Championship. (Swarthmore also won a penalty-kick shootout in 2007, topping Catholic).
The Garnet (10-4-6), despite having defeated the No. 1 team in the country and six other teams that participated in the 2007 NCAA Tournament, received a No. 6 seeding for this year’s E.C.A.C. Southern championship. Swarthmore traveled north to No. 4 seed Delaware Valley on Wednesday, and after 110 minutes of scoreless action, advanced with on penalty kicks, 4-3. The Garnet faced the No. 2 seed, Westminster, in Saturday’s semifinals and broke out for three goals, earning a ticket to Sunday’s championship match.
A scoreless first half saw Frostburg State (16-2-4) hold a slight 4-3 shot advantage.
More action picked up in the second half, including a pair of big saves by Walker. Neither team was able to post a goal over through regulation and two overtime periods. Frostburg State held a 12-8 shot advantage when the final horn sounded.
Walker gave Swarthmore an early advantage in the penalty-kick shootout, stopping the first attempt by Frostburg’s Kiersten Stevenson. Swarthmore went on to score on five straight shots to sew up the championship.
Walker posted a shutout in her final game between the pipes for Swarthmore, bringing her school-record total to 28 (second most in Centennial history).
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