NE10 40th Anniversary Home Page
One final step proved to be an historic leap for The College of Saint Rose women’s soccer program and the Northeast-10 Conference in 2011.
The Golden Knights came from behind to knock off two-time defending champion Grand Valley State 2-1 to claim the first team national title in school annals, as well as the first women's soccer national championship in NE10 history, after advancing to the national semifinals each of the previous three seasons. The game took place at Brosnaham Park in Pensacola, Fla.
“This is incredible. I'm just so proud of these girls. We've overcome so many obstacles and our girls did such a good job coming out and doing what they needed to do. They've worked so hard and it's the best thing to be rewarded as the national champion,” said Saint Rose head coach Laurie Darling Gutheil in the postgame press conference. “It's such a long run to get here that by the time you get out there the girls have given all they have just to get to this point. So once you're here, it just comes down to heart and effort, and that's why we're sitting here with this trophy right now.”
Saint Rose got to that point following a fairly evenly played opening half. The Golden Knights generated a 10-7 shot advantage, but the Lakers got on the scoreboard first in the 33rd minute.
Saint Rose countered by dictating the pace at the onset of the second half. Sophomore forward Carmelina Puopolo made the effort pay off by one-timing a left-footed volley home in the 48th minute.
Eight minutes later, she displayed her on-ball prowess to deliver her 10th game winner of the year. Puopolo collected a feed from junior back Molly Harpster on the left side of the box, dribbled twice to shake her defender, and rifled a shot from 10-yards out to make it 2-1 Golden Knights.
That is how it stood up as the Golden Knights staunchly defended their end throughout the final 35 minutes while Grand Valley State relentlessly pushed forward, an effort that yielded four shots throughout the final six minutes.
“We have such a great fan base and family. They run such a phenomenal support system and I'm just so thrilled they could be here to witness it and be a part of it with their girls,” said Gutheil.
Saint Rose wound up defeating both the nation’s top-ranked (Grand Valley State) and second-ranked (California, Pa.) squads throughout their historic NCAA Championship Tournament run. The Golden Knights also outscored their eight postseason opponents by a 23-3 margin and recorded 24 wins on the year, tied for fourth most in NCAA annals at the time. Puopolo was named the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Offensive Player and sophomore midfielder Sydney Bond was chosen the Most Outstanding Defensive Player. Sophomore goalkeeper Jessica Gerski, senior midfielder Gianna D’Errico, and senior back Derith Fernandes were also named to the All-Tournament Team.
Saint Rose Women's Soccer Links of Note:
- National Championship Box Score
- Albany Times Union: "The Story of the Year: The ladies were the champs"
- Boston Globe: "D'Errico sisters share NCAA soccer title"
- Glens Falls Post-Star: "Saint Rose coach lives a busy life, and loves it"
ABOUT THE NE10
Beginning its 40th anniversary season, the NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
