Women’s Soccer Repeat As CACC Tournament Champions

Bridgeport, Conn. – The University of Bridgeport women's soccer team was crowned the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament Champions on Sunday afternoon after defeating Holy Family University 3-1 in the Final. The win improves UB's season record to 10-7-3 overall and books them a ticket in the NCAA East Regional.

The number seven seeded Purple Knights lined up against the number four seeded Tigers for the CACC Tournament Championship.

Bridgeport struck first after pressing the ball toward the corner and forcing a Holy Family turnover just to the left side of the penalty area. Kate Thill (Jr., Goetzingen, Luxembourg) wasted no time and struck the ball goalward with her first touch. The curling effort went up and over the outstretched arm of the Tigers' goalkeeper and into the top right corner of the net to give UB a 1-0 lead in the 10^th minute. Thill's strike was her 13^th goal of the year.

The Purple Knights doubled their lead in the 34^th minute with a Solune Moll (So., Bern, Switzerland) freekick special. Moll put the ball down just a few paces from the left corner of the penalty area before unleashing a bending effort that wrongfooted the Holy Family keeper. the ball, hitting the back of the net was Solune's fifth goal of the year and earned Bridgeport the 2-0 lead.

Brooke Boucher (Jr., Harrow, Canada) would head home the third UB goal of the afternoon after Angelina LoFranco (Jr., Greenacres, Fla.) played in the corner, forcing the Tiger's goalkeeper to come out a tip the ball in traffic. The clearance was directed at Boucher who threw herself at it and headed the ball across the line for a 3-0 UB advantage and her fifth goal of the year.

Holy Family would grab a goal back in the 67^th minute from a long-range effort that exploded off the right foot of Brynn Hess into the bottom left corner to cut the UB lead to 3-1.

Bridgeport's defense held strong and limited further Holy Family chances and at the final buzzer the Purple K nights were 2-1 Tournament Final victors.

2023 CACC All-Tournament Team

Abby Kennelly – Georgian Court

Aliya Canfield – Georgian Court

Mia Ferrara – Jefferson

Nikki Dedes – Jefferson

Gianna Penecale – Holy Family

Maura Kilkenny – Holy Family

Allison Loper – Holy Family

Kate Thill – Bridgeport

Tatianna Lizarraga – Bridgeport

Angelina LoFranco – Bridgeport

Solune Moll – Bridgeport

Kristi Jazdzewski – Bridgeport

Lara Noe – Bridgeport

Most Valuable Player

Kate Thill – Bridgeport

Up next, UB await Monday's NCAA Regional draw at 6:30 p.m. EST for their opponent in the NCAA East Regional.

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