Boxscore

LOWELL, Mass. – Senior defender Ancil Farrier (Los Bajos, Trinidad) scored on a penalty kick in the 34th minute to lead the No. 21 nationally ranked Southern Connecticut State University men's soccer team to a 1-0 win over No. 12 nationally ranked Massachusetts-Lowell in the semifinal round of the Northeast-10 Conference Championships on Wednesday night at Cushing Field. The win improves SCSU's record to 13-2-4 and sends the Owls to Saturday's championship game against Merrimack, who defeated Franklin Pierce 1-0 in overtime of the other semifinal. With the loss, Massachusetts-Lowell falls to 12-3-3.

SCSU got the first scoring chance early in the game when a Massachusetts-Lowell defender was called for a handball just outside the top of the 18-yard box in the second minute. Farrier struck the free kick low and hard, but it was smothered by River Hawks goalkeeper Ryan Richards just before it could sneak inside the right post.

Massachusetts-Lowell would get a scoring chance of its own in the 12th minute. Matt Dubois was a step ahead of the SCSU defense when he received an arcing pass from a midfielder. However, Owls senior goalkeeper Brendan Lawless (Orleans, Mass.) was came off his line, cut down the angle and made the save.

The Owls opened the scoring in the 34th minute when freshman midfielder Brandin McClay (East Taunton, Mass.) was hauled down in the box by River Hawk defender Evan Spann. Farrier took the ensuing penalty kick and struck it into the lower right corner as Richards dove in the opposite direction for a 1-0 SCSU lead. The goal was the team-leading eighth of the season for Farrier, who is perfect in three penalty kick attempts on the season. The Owls would take the lead into the halftime break while the River Hawks held a 6-5 shots advantage in the opening stanza.

The two teams played a scoreless first half, with senior forward Colin Jackson (Hartford, Conn.) having the first and best scoring chance of the period for SCSU. As the ball was served into the box, a Massachusetts-Lowell defender slipped and fell which left Jackson with the ball and time to maneuver at the penalty spot. Jackson spun and fired, but the shot was turned aside by Richards. Massachusetts-Lowell held a 6-2 shots advantage in the second half and enjoyed a 12-7 edge for the game. Each team attempted four corner kicks.

Lawless made six saves in front of the SCSU net to earn the victory and his seventh shutout of the season. Richards made three saves for Massachusetts-Lowell in defeat.

The Owls return to action on Saturday, Nov. 3 when they host Merrimack in the Northeast-10 Conference Championship. Kickoff is at a time to be announced at Jess Dow Field in New Haven, Conn.