Brandywine Scores First-Ever USCAA Tournament Victory

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – No.6 Penn State Brandywine scored two second-half goals en route to claiming a victory at the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Soccer Tournament by topping No. 2 Albany College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences 2-1 on Friday afternoon.

The Lions, playing their fifth USCAA Tournament match in the last three years, received both goals from three-time all-American Brianna Banks (Philadelphia, Pa./Parkway Center), giving her a USCAA-high 26 this season. Brandywine now sits one game away from the national title match.

Albany struck first, scoring in the 10^th minute, to establish a 1-0 lead that the Panthers would take into the half. The Lions' top scoring chance of the opening half came off the foot of Rachel Weir (Neptune City, N.J./Red Bank Regional) as her long blast rang off the post in with just over five minutes before the break.

Brandywine broke through early in the second half, knotting the score at 1-1 under two minutes into the final stanza. Emily Jefferson (Sparta, N.J./Pope John XXIII Regional) found Banks, who dribbled past a pair of defenders and sent a shot into the corner of the net.

The score remained the same for the next 25 minutes until Banks found the game-winning goal, drilling a free kick through traffic in front and into the back of the net.

Brandywine had to hang on as Albany produced the final six shots of the game, but goalkeeper Emily Bush (Bayville, N.J./Central Regional) stopped all three Panther shots on target to preserve the victory.

Bush claimed her ninth win of the season by blocking five shots overall. Brandywine recorded 16 shots, putting seven on target.

Brandywine will face No. 3 NHTI in its next game at the USCAA Tournament on Sunday at noon. A win would send Brandywine to the national championship game on Monday afternoon.