MAAC All-Rookie team member Emily Montgomery scored the game-winning goal for Niagara in the MAAC Championship Friday.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – Freshman Emily Montgomery (Oshawa, Ont.) scored her third goal of the season to help the Niagara University women’s soccer team beat Fairfield, 1-0, Friday afternoon at the 2003 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Women’s Soccer Championship in Lawrenceville, N.J., on the Rider University campus.

Senior Alexander Sahlen (Elma, N.Y./Iroquois) attacked the left end line, cut in, beat two Fairfield defenders and slide a crossing pass through the goal mouth to a crashing Montgomery, who slide it by the sprawling goalkeeper at the 5:42 mark of the game. The Purple Eagles held on for the remainder of the game to put themselves in the championship. The victory was Niagara’s first in the MAAC championship. The Purple Eagles reached the 1999 and 1992 championships, but lost in the opening round.

"I am extremely proud of the team. We fought very hard for 90 minutes and we deserved to win this game," Niagara head and MAAC Coach of the Year Peter Veltri said. "I give a lot of credit to the players. They showed a lot of heart and determination, and played hard for 90 minutes."

MAAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, sophomore Katy Owings (Annapolis, Md.), made two saves in net in the second half and Katie Ely of Fairfield made six, two in the first half and four in the second.

Niagara faces the winner of the Loyola and Rider contest in the MAAC Championship game Sunday at 1 p.m., and the winner of the championship advances to the NCAA Tournament.

"We are excited about being in the finals," Veltri said. "We will play hard and give it our all and see what happens."

The Purple Eagles lost to both Rider (1-0 2ot) and Loyola (2-1) at Niagara Field the final week of regular-season play.