Hawks to play in their first Women's College Cup Monmouth to go on the road and face Penn State on Friday BY DOUG McKENZIE Staff Writer For Monmouth University (MU) women's soccer coach Krissy Turner, the fourth time was the charm. Now in her 10th season as Monmouth head coach, Turner has seen her team come within one win of earning a berth in the NCAA Women's College Cup, only to fall short the previous three times. That only makes the Hawks' 1-0 victory over Sacred Heart in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament on Sunday that much sweeter, as Turner and her team are now headed to the national tournament for the first time. The Hawks, who have amassed a 12-4-4 record this season, will take on the nation's sixth-ranked team, the Penn State Nittany Lions on Friday in State College, Pa. MU sophomore Andrea Lopez, a First Team All-NEC player, netted the game-winner off a cross from Illiana Blackshear in the 15th minute, and the Hawks made the onegoal lead stand up, earning their first NEC Tournament title since 1996, and third overall. The goal was set up when Blackshear beat a defender while streaking up the right side, and then crossed the ball passed Sacred Heart goalie Meghan Reichelt. The ball hit Lopez in stride, and the sophomore from Ocean Township High School calmly notched her fifth goal of the year from about 6 yards out. Lopez nearly added a second goal about halfway through the first half, when she hit the post on a rebound from a Blackshear shot, and the Hawks continued to apply the pressure, outshooting the Pioneers 11-3 for the game, including an 8-1 edge in the first 45 minutes of play. While MU narrowly missed on a couple of other occasions, the one goal was plenty, as the Hawks controlled the ball for most of the game, as their midfielders and backs played smart soccer in front of freshman goalie Lia Fierro. Fierro made just two saves to post her second straight shutout in tournament play, including a leaping save on an Alyssa Long header with just over 17 minutes left to play in the first half, and was named the tournament MVP, though in truth the entire team should share the credit for its defensive play in the two games. NEC Player of the Year Amy Hoyer and Brittni Heller joined Fierro and Lopez on the All-Tournament Team. Following the win, Turner was understandably emotional about her team's performance both on Sunday and throughout the year. "A fantastic win for the 2007 team and for the program," she said. "We felt confident that we were the best team in the league, and today we proved it. "All season long we showed we could compete at a high level and we look forward to playing in the NCAA Tournament." The Hawks take a 12-4-4 record into the NCAA Tournament, and will look to carry the momentum of Sunday's win into their first-round matchup, wherever it may be. "It was a day to be remembered on the Great Lawn," said Turner. "To win the title in front of our home crowd and to have Christie Pearce Rampone serve as an honorary captain and address the team beforehand was a day that our players will forever remember." In Monmouth's 1-0 semifinal victory over Long Island University (LIU) on Friday, the Hawks got the game-winning goal from another player very familiar to soccer fans around the Shore in Allesandra DeTata. DeTata headed the ball passed the goalie Felicia Amaral in the 59th minute of play, and just six minutes after the sophomore entered the game as a substitute. Hoyer started the play with a corner kick from the left side. The ball made its way back to Hoyer just outside the penalty area, and she played it across the box to Shannon Rogers. Rogers sent the ball toward DeTata, where she calmly headed into the net for her second goal of the season, and the biggest of her young career. The Blackbirds continued to apply the pressure the rest of the way, but the Hawk defense was able to protect the lead. Fierro needed to make just two saves to record her seventh shutout of the season. Not only did the win send the Hawks into Sunday's final, it also marked the second time the Hawks survived a tough one-goal game against the Blackbirds, having beaten LIU 2-1 in double-overtime earlier this year. As for the Monmouth men, the Hawks wrapped up their third straight NEC regular season title with a 3-2 win over St. Francis University (SFU) on Nov. 4, as sophomore Daniel Bostock netted the game-winner in overtime. With the win, the Hawks are now 12-4-2 overall and 7-2 in the NEC. St. Francis claims the No. 2 seed in the upcoming postseason. Monmouth got on the board first, as freshman Ryan Kinne connected on a goal from 11 yards out, off a pass from senior Michael Millar at 10:37. SFU answered at 12:56 when Jarron Brooks registered a goal off the crossbar. The Hawks needed a late goal to knot the score at 2-2 and send it to an extra session, as Andreas Klang netted his third goal of the year at 85:01. Bostock scored his first career goal 5:53 into the first overtime, off an assist from Dan Haydu for the game-winner. Monmouth held a 16-8 advantage in shots, forcing SFU's Brad WIlliams to make five saves. Daniel Schenkel made two saves for the Hawks.