Box Score
RADNOR, Pa. – After recording her eighth shutout of the season, Immaculata University senior goalkeeper Jessica Gaburo sent the fifth-seeded Mighty Macs into the Colonial States Athletic Conference Tournament finals for the first time in school history by scoring in the 13th round of the sudden-victory penalty kick shootout, after playing to a 0-0 tie through regulation and a pair of 10-minute overtime periods with top-seeded Cabrini College on Wednesday evening.
Immaculata, which is now 8-10-2 overall, will face third-seeded Centenary College in the championship game on Saturday with a bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament on the line. The Cyclones were also shootout winners, as they defeated second-seeded Marywood University, 7-6, in penalty kicks, after playing to a 2-2 tie. Game time has not yet been determined.
“I finally got to score,” Gaburo said. “We have been working for this moment for four years. We missed the conference playoffs my freshman year and have been determined to reach this point ever since. We have faced so many obstacles this season with injuries and adversities, and I think that we showed tonight our ability to pull together.”
The two teams were deadlocked after the first five shooters, with each team converting three penalty kicks. The Mighty Macs' final three shooters (Gaburo, Stefanie Karmondy and Erin Lewis) all went for the left corner to beat Cavaliers' keeper Gianna Porretta.
The shootout then moved to sudden victory where Immaculata's Kim Steinke, Julia Fabbroni and Michelle Meyer kept the Mighty Macs alive, scoring to follow up a Cavaliers' conversion each time. Immaculata had its first chance to win in the ninth round after Cabrini's Brianna Conners' shot was high left, but IU's Samantha Colosi hit the right post.
Immaculata had the opportunity to send the visitors home winners twice more in the 10th and 11th rounds, after Gaburo made saves on the Cabrini shots. But Porretta kept the Cavaliers alive with two saves of her own. Cabrini's Dana Nardello started off the 12th round burying her shot right down the middle, and with all the pressure on to keep the Mighty Macs in the contest, Robin Valerio scored in the left pocket, advancing Immaculata to the next round.
As the 13th round approached, Gaburo was in goal first where she made a diving save to block Kara Hinkelmon's shot. Gaburo then stepped up to the ball and buried the winner in the bottom left corner, delivering Immaculata its first win over Cabrini in women's soccer since the inception of the program in 1998.
Neither team was able to find the back of the net in regulation or the 20 minutes of overtime as Cabrini held a 3-0 edge in shots in overtime.
Cabrini had numerous chances throughout the contest, outshooting Immaculata, 24-6. Cabrini narrowly missed putting a goal on the board with 20 minutes remaining in regulation when Alex Tralie's shot was saved by a diving Gaburo. However, the ball popped out and it was a scramble for the loose ball. Lauren Pallister for the Cavaliers won the race to the ball, but the Mighty Macs' group of backs blocked the shot before it rolled across the goal line.
Gaburo finished the night with 14 saves, while Cabrini starting goalkeeper Maddy Edwards made four stops.
Cabrini finishes its season 14-3-1 overall.
