(Dryden, NY) On Thursday, #6 ranked Nassau women's soccer went head to head with #3 Mohawk Valley CC in the NJCAA National Championships. They were coming off of a 4-1 victory against Holyoke Community College and looking to make a statement at the national level. It was blistering cold and an icy slush covered the field, but the Lions went through their typical warm up without letting the elements affect their mindset. 

From the beginning, Mohawk Valley put the Lions under intense pressure. It was difficult for Nassau to get in a groove because of the conditions on the field. Scoreless after the first half, Nassau made adjustments and came back ready to create opportunities. The Mohawk defense held strong and didn't allow any of the Lions attempts to hit the net. It wasn't until the 88th minute that Mohawk Valley was able to sneak one past the Lions defense to go up by 1. With just 2 minutes left to play, the Lions were doing everything they could to fight back. Katherine Burgess strode down the field and with just 20 seconds left and took a shot that found the back of the net, tying the game 1-1. The Lions were forced into overtime and penalty kicks. Nicole Abanant scored the game winning penalty kick to punch the team's ticket to the next round of the championships.

Goalie Bridget Triessl had a total of 14 saves on the day.

Head Coach Chris Magaloudis commented after the game, "I am unbelievably proud of our team for coming back to tie up the game with just 20 seconds left in the game. That really shows the character of this team, but most importantly it shows their mental toughness. They never gave up. This was one of the most exciting, stomach knotting games I have ever been a part of."

This win brings the Lions into the Final Four that will be held on Friday night.