Fitchburg State Edges Plymouth State, 3-2 (2OT)

Kimball lifts Falcons to second victory of the season with overtime marker

FITCHBURG, Mass. (September 4, 2010) – Senior Courtney Kimball’s (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) game-winning marker in the 101st minute of the contest lifted Fitchburg State to a 3-2 non-conference victory over Plymouth State University this afternoon.

Kimball broke a 2-2 deadlock in the second overtime period as she blasted a shot from 15 yards out for her second consecutive game-winning score. Freshman Kristen Cameron (Webster, Mass./Bartlett) gave the senior captain a solid touch feed from the left side of the field  before Kimball one-time the ball to the back of the net.

JILLIAN KIROUAC

The Falcons rallied back from a 2-0 deficit as Plymouth State got on the board first with a successful penalty kick by junior Sammi Jo Saltalamacchia (Sandown, N.H./Timberlane) just 10:59 into the second half. The Panthers added another score less than nine minutes later as Carol Messler (Durham, N.H./Oyster River) converted her first goal of the season, but Fitchburg State bounced back with two scores over a six minute span to knot the game at 2-2.

Freshman Rebecca Spiro (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) broke the Fitchburg State scoring silence in the 69th minute of the match, bending an indirect kick past goalkeeper Angelina LaBroad (Hampton, N.H./Winnacunnet) for the Falcons first score of the match. Classmate Nicole Stone (Webster, Mass./Bartlett) followed suit in the 75th minute, nipping the bottom left corner of the net for the Fitchburg State equalizer.

It was a goalkeeper’s battle for much of the contest as play remained scoreless for the first 56 minutes of the game. LaBroad was strong between the pipes for the Panthers, enduring an 8-1 shot differential in the first half and 11 targets in the second.  The veteran keeper finished with 11 saves throughout the match, while freshman goalkeeper Jillian Kirouac (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) notched five stops for the Falcons.

With the victory, head coach Bruce Walberg moved within one contest of becoming the all-time wins leader in Fitchburg State women’s soccer history. The Falcons (2-0, 0-0 MASCAC) will be in action again on next Saturday as they host WPI at 10 a.m. Plymouth State (0-1, 0-0 LEC) will host Simmons College on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

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Fitchburg State 3, Plymouth State 2 (2OT)

Scoring:
1st Half: none
2nd Half: PSU: Sammi Jo Saltalamacchia, 55:59;  PSU: Carol Messler (Rebecca Wilson), 64:41; FIT: Rebecca Spiro, 68:12; FIT: Nicole Stone, 74:13;
OT: none
2OT: Courtney Kimball (Kristen Cameron), 100:45;
Goalkeeping: FIT: Jillian Kirouac (100:45), five saves; PSU: Angelina LaBroad (100:45), 11 saves;
Shots: FIT: 20; PSU: 9