DANBURY, CT - The Keene State College women's soccer team advance to the 2014 Little East Conference Championship game on penalty kicks, 3-2, over host Western Connecticut State University at the Westside Athletic Complex on Thursday night.

The Owls advance to the Little East Conference Tournament championship game and will face #2 seeded UMass Boston, who defeated Eastern Connecticut in the day's other semifinal matchup, 5-2.  The Owls and Beacons will square off on Saturday, November 8, in Boston, game time to be announced on Friday.

Western junior Lisa Sanzari (North Haven, CT) missed wide left to begin the penalty kicks.

A successful first attempt by KSC freshman Katie Silegy (Keene, NH) gave the Owls a 1-0 lead with a goal to the right side.

Sophomore Meaghan Gustafson (Newington, CT) then had her attempt, to the low right side of the goal, blocked by a diving Torrie Crenson (North Salem, NY).

Keene State took a 2-0 lead when senior Beverly Cole (Madbury, NH) scored with another shot to the right side.

Western junior back Rebecca Rivera (Monroe, CT) kept her team alive with a solid shot into the right corner of the goal, but freshman Kali Santino (West Chesterfield, NH) extended the Owl lead to 3-1 with a shot to the left.

Freshman Julie Teixeira (Trumbull, CT) drilled a shot high into the left corner of the goal to narrow the margin to 3-2.

Colonials' keeper Jillian Fernandez (Columbia, CT), who injured her right leg earlier in the game, made a diving save on an attempt by Keene State freshman Morgan Kathan (Ludlow, VT) and the Owls' lead remained 3-2 with one shooter remaining for each team.

Western sophomore midfielder Celia DeVoe, pushed her shot outside the top right corner of the goal and Keene State advanced on penalty kicks, 3-2.

Keene State managed to hold the ball in the Western end of the field for the majority of the first five minutes of play.  At the 7:54 mark, Owls freshman Taylor Farland (Fiskdale, MA) just missed giving Keene State the lead when her shot went past a diving Western keeper and rebounded solidly off the left goal-post, before quickly being cleared by a Western defender.

At the 34:46 mark, senior Sarah Menta (Newington, CT) attacked the left side of the Keene State defense, just outside the box.  After dribbling around one defender, Menta unleashed a low shot directly at Keene State's keeper, Victoria Crenson (North Salem, NY), but the damp ball slipped between Crenson's hands and legs and rolled slowly across the goal line for a 1-0 Western lead.

At the half, Keene State held an 8-5 edge in shots, while Western had the advantage in corner kicks, 3-1, and on the scoreboard, 1-0.

After narrowly missing on a shot in the games 61st minute, Keene State tied the score on the ensuing corner kick.  Junior Jennifer Wilson (Plymouth, MA) delivered a well-placed pass into a crowd of bodies near the right post and senior Alex Haley (Laconia, NH) elevated above the pack to head the ball past the hands of Fernandez to even the score, 1-1.

With less than five minutes to play, freshman Andrea DeVoe (Farmington, CT) had a chance to put Western back on top after receiving a pass directly in front of the Keene State goal off a corner kick, but the ball caromed awkwardly off her foot and floated outside the left goal-post.

After 90 minutes of play, the score remained tied 1-1, and the game headed to overtime.

Just over six minutes into the first overtime period, Western sophomore Autumn Sorice (Bethel, CT) beat the Keene State defense around the left side and drilled a left-footed shot that appeared head for the right side of the Owls' goal.  Crenson got just enough of her right hand on the ball as she dove to her left, and the ball rolled harmlessly over the touch line.

Western dominated time of possession throughout the second overtime period, but when neither team managed to score, the outcome would be decided by penalty kicks.

For the game, Keene State finished with a 18-17 advantage in shots, while Western had the edge in corner kicks, 7-4.  Fernandez finished with five saves for Western, while Crenson had four saves for Keene State.

With the tie, Western's season record moves to 14-5-1, while Keene State stands at 13-8-1.