NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – In a playoff-like atmosphere, the Niagara Purple Eagles (12-5-1, 5-4-0) season came to an end in a 1-0 defeat to bitter rival the Canisius Golde Griffins (11-4-3, 6-4-0).

Tonight’s match was the third game of the season long competition, Battle of the Bridge, between Niagara and Canisius and was played infront of a Niagara Field record 733 people. The winner of the match would be the fourth and final team in the 2008 MAAC Championships hosted by Siena College from November 9-11.

After a nervous opening 10 minutes by both teams, Niagara dictated the flow of the game. The Purple Eagles controlled possession for the next 15 minutes, outshooting the Golden Griffins 7-0.  Senior forward Stephanie Gartley (Camlachie, Ont.) had the best chance for Niagara when her shot was blocked by the oncoming Canisius keeper in the 21^st minute. 

Two minutes later, Gartley was on a clear breakaway and pulled down from behind by Canisius defender. The resulting foul did not produce a card and Chiara Greco’s (Hamilton, Ont.) free kick sailed over the cross bar. In the 34^th minute, Niagara was rewarded with an indirect free kick in the box and senior Shaylyn Lawrence (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) hit a bending ball around the box, but Greco was unable to get a touch on the ball.  

The game changing play occurred in the 36^th minute when Lawrence received a straight red card, leaving Niagara down a player for the rest of the game.  The Purple Eagles took an 11-2 shots advantage into half time.

“I thought we played a pretty good first half, but obviously playing with 10 men really hurt us,” head coach Peter Veltri said about the red card. “All week we focused on attacking them with two strikers and just like that we were forced to play with one, which totally changed what we were trying to do.”

As the night got colder, the intensity on the field heated up in the second half.

Canisius began the second half exploiting the vacant area for Niagara.  In the 53^rd minute, Golden Griffins forward Jenny Griffin’s shot hit the post.

Niagara was hampered by another key player absent when Greco limped off the field in the 55^th minute, though, the Purple Eagles nearly took the lead when Michelle Emery (Colorado Springs, Colo.) deflected shot whizzed past the post two minutes later.

Goalkeeper Ashleigh Bowers (Liverpool, N.Y.) made an important save on Sylvia Kowalski volleyed in the 62^nd minute, but the defensive play of the game came from defender Alyssa Pollock’s (Liverpool, N.Y.) goal line clearance in the 72^nd minute.

In the 76^th minute, Canisius’ Laura Ellis put her team in the MAAC Championship for the first time since 1994. Ellis’ shot hit the ground in front of a diving Ashleigh Bowers and spun the other way to find the net.

The Purple Eagles threw more players on the attack, but were unable to break through for the tying goal to force overtime.

“We had our chances and I thought we made some mistakes and unfortunately they capitalized on them,” Veltri said.

Niagara’s season ends with a record of 12-6-1 and 5-4-0 in the MAAC.