Photo Gallery

MEADVILLE, Pa. –  Led by junior Hannah Zangara's five-point day, the Allegheny women's soccer team used a second half barrage to earn a 4-1 victory over Denison in the semifinals of the North Coast Athletic Conference championship tournament.

Zangara scored two goals and added an assist during a 25-minute barrage in which the Gators scored four times to come back from an early deficit and earn their seventh consecutive win.

The victory gives the Gators a chance to defend their 2013 NCAC championship, as they will now travel to top-seeded Kenyon for Saturday's conference finale, where they will also be looking for revenge from their only loss in NCAC play this season, a 3-2 double-overtime setback to the Ladies on Oct. 4.

Allegheny had a number of chances in the opening stages of the first half, with three shots and two corner kicks over the first 25 minutes.  Jessie Thiessen came close to scoring the game's first goal on a pair of occasions, but saw a header off of a corner go just high, before blasting a shot off the post from 10 yards out.

Following the Gators' second corner kick of the half, the Big Red quickly cleared the ball from danger.  Denison's Anne Denz picked it up on the sideline, raced past a pair of Gator defenders, and then made a diagonal run to the top of the box, where she planted and quickly sent a blast into the lower corner of the goal to put the visitors on top 1-0.  It marked the first goal allowed by Allegheny in 568 minutes spanning over six games, while it was the team's first in-game deficit since a Sept. 20 loss to Oneonta.

After conceding the goal, the Gators went back to work offensively, and owned time of possession over the final 18 minutes of the half.  The hosts had three shots and two corners over the final stretch of the half, but were unable to capitalize, and entered the intermission still facing the one-goal deficit.

The Gators came out of the break recharged, and immediately took control to start the second half.  After a pair of shots over the first 70 seconds, Allegheny was able to tie the game just 3:48 into the half.  Greta Hilbrands lofted a high, arching shot from 25 yards out and toward the goal, where it deflected off of Zangara and into the net for the Gators' first goal of the afternoon.

Allegheny continued to press offensively, and took a 2-1 lead in the 61st minute, when Thiessen passed out of traffic and onto the doorstep to Zangara, who posted her second goal of the day with a low drive from 15 yards out.

Denison looked to answer back, controlling the ball for the next few minutes and tallying its first two shots of the half.  The Gator defense blocked one, and forced the other wide, and then the home offense went back on the attack.  With 25 minutes remaining, Faith Robinson was robbed by diving Denison keeper Jennie Herrold on a shot in front.  The rebound sailed out of bounds, setting up a corner kick for Lauren Miller.  Zangara's deflection off the corner was blocked, but the rebound went right to the foot of Robinson, who found an open net to put the hosts up 3-1.

After the Gators thwarted another scoring chance from a Denison corner in the 70th minute, Thiessen made a long run past the Denison defense and into the box.  Her hard shot on goal took an awkward bounce, and skipped through the Big Red back line and into the net for the Gators' fourth goal of the half.

The Big Red put together a last-ditch comeback effort and held possession for the majority of the game's final 15 minutes, but were unable to net a second goal, as the Gator defense blocked a number of long-range Denison attempts.  Allegheny keeper Gabby Curtis also made a trio of saves, including a diving stop off of a set piece with six minutes left, to preserve the three-goal victory.

Denison owned an 18-16 advantage in shots for the afternoon, but several were blocked by the Gator defenders, with just seven on target.  Zangara led the Gators with six shots, with Thiessen adding four, while Curtis made six saves in goal to earn her 14th win of the season.

The Gators will now be making their third trip to the NCAC championship match in the past four seasons.  Last year, Allegheny earned its first NCAC tournament championship with a 2-0 victory in the finals over Wittenberg.