Delta Bows Out of Post-Season

Buffalo, New York – The ninth ranked Delta College women's soccer team started post-season play on Tuesday against the fourth ranked Erie Community College Katz in the regional quarterfinals where they fell to the host team, 4-3.  The loss ends the season for the Pioneers who finished with a 10-4 record on the year.

Things started out great for Delta, making their first appearance in the NJCAA Division III tournament having been a Division I school since their first season in 2011.  Just 58 seconds into the game, sophomore forward Leah Johnson put DC on the board scoring on a chip shot that barely cleared the outstretched arms of the Erie goalie.  Delta scored once again at the 25-minute mark when Kaitlyn Begley headed a shot past the Katz keeper after a cross pass from Madison Tweedle to give the Pioneers a 2-0 lead.

Just two minutes later, Delta took a 3-0 lead as Paige Renshaw scored her ninth goal to give the visitors what appeared to be an insurmountable advantage.  That's when the game began to spiral out of control, however, as two Erie players picked up yellow cards in the span of five minutes.  Accordingly, the referee began calling the game much tighter but the calls didn't bode well for Delta.

The first call that hurt the visiting squad occurred at the 41-minute mark when a foul was called against DC for a push in the back which unfortunately occurred inside the 18-yard box.  By rule, this warranted a penalty kick that was successful to make it 3-1. 

Two more questionable calls later, Erie was awarded a free kick just outside the 18 and while the initial shot was blocked, the rebound was gathered, passed and put in the back of the goal cutting the score to 3-2 with just 90 seconds to go in the half.

The second half was played straight up with both teams putting pressure on goal.  Multiple free kicks and controversial flops ensued, however, and when a hand ball that looked to have touched the Erie player was called on Delta – once again inside the 18 - a second penalty kick was awarded that tied the score at 3-3 with 11 minutes to go in the game. 

On the entire season prior to Tuesday, Delta committed one foul that ended in a penalty kick.

With five minutes to play and the score knotted at 3-3, Erie lofted a ball that appeared to catch the Katz offside prompting the Delta players to look for the call.  It wasn't called, however, and Erie scored a 1-on-1 goal to take a 4-3 lead and the win.

Erie will now face #2 ranked Finger Lakes in the regional semi-final on Saturday.  Delta meanwhile, loses 12 sophomores off the 2016 team including goal keeper Ali Bourcier and three of their top four point leaders in Aleisha Jones, Kaitlyn Begley and Gillian Carroll. 

Delta co-head coach Paul Stenglein was unavailable for comment on this story.