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ITHACA, N.Y. -- Second-seeded Nazareth dominated third-seeded St. John Fisher Saturday in an Empire 8 Conference women's soccer playoff game, recording a 3-0 victory to advance to Sunday's title match.
The Golden Flyers relied on a 16-4 shooting advantage to improve to 11-6-1 overall. It was the Golden Flyers' second victory over Fisher this season and 18th straight overall. The Cardinals dropped to 6-10-2 overall.
Nazareth will play top-seeded Ithaca in Sunday's championship game at 12 p.m. at Ithaca's Carp Wood Field. (
LiveStats) The winner gains an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Bombers (13-4-1) reached the final with a 1-0 victory over Stevens.
Nazareth was dominant from the outset, getting nine first-half shots with two finding their mark for a 2-0 lead before halftime. Junior
Erica Conte scored her team-leading eighth goal in the 38th minute as she carried the ball down the left side of the field and scored on a shot from about 12 yards away.
Less than four minutes later, Nazareth scored again as junior
Meagan Rivera took advantage of a cross from
Abbey Bentz to score her first goal of the season.
Fisher had all of its scoring chances in the second half, getting four shots off, but Nazareth goalie
Hillary Simon made two saves to keep the Cardinals off the scoreboard. Meanwhile, the Golden Flyers scored again in the 65th minute as
Kaylee Benz scored following a corner kick by
Chelsea Kuss.
Sunday's game will mark the eighth straight year in which Nazareth and Ithaca have met in the Empire 8 Tournament for women's soccer and the seventh time the two teams have met in the championship match. Overall, the Bombers have won the last five meetings, including a 1-0 regular-season win at Nazareth Oct. 10.