Garden City, N.Y. - For the second year in a row, the Adelphi University women's soccer team has earned a berth to the NE10 Championship final, following Thursday's 1-0 victory over No. 3 seed Southern New Hampshire University at Motamed Field.

The Panthers, who improved to 12-2-4 as the No. 14 nationally-ranked team in the land, are set to make back-to-back appearances in the NE10 Championship for the first time since 2012 and 2013.

"The playoff environment is extremely unpredictable and we asked our players to be ready to adapt and manage those moments in the game. I think we created chances to win the game and also neutralized the opposition's chances in critical moments," said Head Coach Brooke DeRosa. "I'm very happy to be returning to our conference final again. "

The key moment came minutes after a scoreless opening half. With some space above the area, Kayleigh Goodrich let rip a right-footed strike that dipped under the crossbar for what stood up as the game's only goal 3:07 into the second half.

"I was just so determined to get a goal," Goodrich said. "I was initially looking to pass, but when they gave me the space, I just went for it."

With a bid to the final on the line, Krista Aliscio put forth a spectacular effort in goal for the 'Cats. On three separate occasions, Aliscio sprawled out to make a diving save when SNHU was knocking on the doorstep.

"Krista was focused and ready when she needed to make big saves for us," DeRosa remarked about her keeper. "Collectively, the team suffered through the defensive moments and stayed united for the full ninety minutes."

Aliscio punched in her tenth clean sheet to a 2023 resume that now includes a sparkling 0.82 goals-against average. She is now the first Adelphi netminder in over a decade (Sam Whitney, 2012) to post ten or more shutouts in a single season.

The Penmen did nearly have an equalizer in the final ticks. As Adelphi looked to clear, the ball deflected off a charging Carly Schofield, who seemed to tie it with 58 seconds left, until the center official whistled the play down for a handball.

Adelphi -- which is making its first back-to-back trip to the NE10 Championship under DeRosa -- will travel to top-seeded The College of Saint Rose or host No. 4 seed Franklin Pierce University in Sunday's NE10 Championship final at a time to be determined.