Pioneers to Host NEC Championship

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart women's soccer team is heading to the Northeast Conference championship on Sunday for the first time since 2007. The third seeded Pioneers will host its first championship contest on Sunday, November 6 at 1:00 PM at Park Avenue Field against the fourth seeded Knights of Fairleigh Dickinson.

LIVE STATS | ESPN3 | NEC FRONT ROW | GAME NOTES | TICKETS

Spectator Parking: Martire, Martire Garage, Notre Dame High School

RECORDS
#3 Sacred Heart: 11-5-4, 5-1-3 NEC
#4 FDU: 8-10-2, 5-2-2 NEC

THE MATCHUP

During the regular season, Sacred Heart lost 1-0 on the road to FDU, the teams only NEC loss of the season.
Aitana Martinez-Montoya scored a late goal for FDU in the 86th minute for the game-winner.
The Pioneers are 6-11-2 all-time against FDU.
Sacred Heart fell 5-3 in the NEC semifinal to FDU last season.
The game against FDU will be the first postseason championship hosted by Sacred Heart women's soccer.

PIOS IN POSTSEASON

Sacred Heart won its first home NEC postseason tournament game on Sunday, 5-0 against #6 LIU.
The win against LIU in the first round marked the first postseason victory at Sacred Heart for Head Coach Matt Micros.
Last season, the Pioneers fell 5-3 in the NEC semifinal to FDU.
SHU has won one NEC Championship in 2001 as the #4 seed, defeating UMBC 1-0 on the road at SFU.
Sacred Heart's highest regular-season finish was #2 in 2003.
The last championship appearance was in 2007.

TOP PIOS

First-year Morgan Bovardi leads the Pioneers with 18 points, eight goals, and two assists.
Sophomore Grace O'Hara is second on the team with 16 points from seven goals and two assists each. Senior Desiree Crawford is third on the team in points (12) with five goals and two assists.
O'Hara and Bovardi are tied for a team-leading three, game-winning goals this season.
Goalkeeper Elyssa Kipperman (11-5-4) has played every minute of every regular season game with nine shutouts and 91 saves.

All-NEC

Kipperman was named the NEC Defensive Player and Goalkeeper of the Year. She is the only player in NEC history to earn both awards in the same season.
Bovardi was named the NEC Rookie of the Year.
Seniors Nichol Green, Alexis Sickler, and Kipperman were placed on the All-NEC first team.
Senior Anna Ludkiewicz earned a spot on the All-NEC second team.
First-years Laurene Jordan and Bovardi were placed on the NEC All-Rookie team.

ROOKIE SEASON

After being named NEC Rookie of the Week four times this season (10/17, 10/3, 9/26, 8/29), Mogran Bovardi took home the NEC Rookie of the Year honor.
She is the team leader in points,18, goals (8) and has two assists.
Tied for second in the NEC for goals and is first in the conference in shots on goal.

TEAM NOTABLES

With the 2-1 win over Merrimack in the NEC semifinal, Sacred Heart has set a new program record for wins in a season with 11.
The Pioneers had an eight-game unbeaten streak that ran from September 8th through October 6th. FDU snapped the streak on October 9th.
Sacred Heart ended the regular season with a 1-1 tie with Central Connecticut.
Kipperman (11-5-4) has played every minute of every game in the regular season and has recorded nine shutouts this season. She leads the NEC with a .745 GAA, saves (91) and shutouts per game .474.
Bovardi is tied for second in the conference in goals with eight and O'Hara is right behind her with seven.
Desiree Crawford (12pts/5 goals), O'Hara (16pts/ 7 goals), and Bovardi (18 pts/8 goals) are all in the top-10 in points and goals in the NEC.
SHU has allowed the fewest goals this season in the conference (15) and is first in the NEC in goals scored (31).
The Pioneers finished the regular season with a 9-5-4 overall record and a 5-1-3 NEC record.

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Pioneers to Host NEC Championship

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