Box Score Watch (RPI TV)

TROY, N.Y. - Liberty League Player of the Year Jennifer Mansfield scored the only goal of the game in the 20th minute and the Union College women's soccer team held off Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 1-0 in a Liberty League Tournament Semifinal game at East Campus Stadium.

The Dutchwomen, the 25th-ranked team in the nation, improve to 15-2-0 and advance to the finals on Saturday afternoon at William Smith College. The Herons defeated Rochester Institute of Technology in penalty kicks. RPI concludes the season with an 11-7-0 record.

Union, the fourth seed, took the lead in the 20th minute when Mansfield (Hopewell Junction, NY / John Jay), a senior, volleyed a deflected ball from 12 yards out into the top of the center of the goal. RPI junior Steph Vargas (Fogelsville, PA / Allentown Central Catholic) nearly knocked the ball out but was unable to get enough of the shot to get it over the crossbar. For Mansfield, the goal was her 11th of the season.

The Dutchwomen had an opportunity to double their lead with eight minutes remaining in the first half when sophomore Mollie Gilchrist (Johnsonville, NY / Hoosic Valley Central) had her shot along the turf saved by Vargas.

The Engineers, the top seed in the four-team league tournament, had their best opportunity to that point in the 56th minute when junior Sara Rothschild (Manlius, NY / Fayetteville-Manlius) saw her shot stopped by Union keeper Kayla Marti (Newburgh, NY / Newburgh Free Academy). Two minutes later, the Dutchwomen had a flurry of chances, including a shot off the crossbar by Whitney Bickford (Pennington, NJ / Hopewell Valley Central), but they could not find the netting.

RPI sustained an offensive flow with under 10 minutes remaining but a Shannon Maguire ( Randolph, NJ / Randolph) shot went wide and Marti controlled a loose ball with an Engineers' forward bearing down on her.

Marti finished with two saves, while Vargas also stopped two shots.

Union held a 10-8 advantage in shots and a 5-4 edge in corner kicks.