Box Score

Junior Jordan Cassidy scored with 4:55 remaining the rescue the Lions' season and send the Albright College women's soccer team into the Commonwealth Conference playoffs following a 2-2 tie with Widener.

Albright (8-3-5, 2-2-3) qualifies for the playoffs as the fourth seed and will travel to face defending champion Messiah, Thursday at 5:00 p.m.

Down 2-1 in the final five minutes, Albright's season was slipping away until Cassidy bodied in Stephanie Przybyszewski's cross from the right side to tie the game in dramatic fashion.

Albright took the lead in the first half, after Alex Talbot played Erin Hand down the left side and the freshman was tripped up in the box. Sophomore Mel Sullivan slotted the penalty home to put the hosts ahead 1-0.

Off a dangerous free kick, Jenna Pedrick's low hard shot in the second half fooled Olivia Giuliano and tied the game at 1-1.

Disaster struck for the Lions in the 60th minute, as a deflection allowed Brittany Balentine to run onto Devan Doyle's through ball and slot past Giualiano for a 2-1 lead. Pedrick got another dangerous free kick and hit it low again, forcing a nice tip save from Giualiano.

Cassidy's goal brough the Lions back from the brink, and they had several chances to go on and win the game after that. With under two minutes to play, Cassidy made a nice turn and was brought down just outside the box, but junior Alee Gormley's free kick missed the corner by a few feet.

Przybyszewski was all over the field late, cutting past a defender with literally one second remaining in regulation but her last-gasp effort was saved by Widener goalkeeper Vanessa Hejnas.

Widener then almost fell asleep in the first overtime, as Przybyszewski ran free down the left side but Cassidy could cut past defender to play her in on a two-on-one break.

Cassidy actually got around the keeper in the 97th minute, but Hejnas got back to dive on the ball. In the second overtime, Hand won a header past the keeper but Pride defender Nicole Repetto was there to clear it away.

Cassidy got in behind on a breakaway in the 108th minute, but shot right at the goalkeeper from 18 yards out.

In the first half, the Lions had won two early corners but nothing came of the opportunities. On a third corner, a dangerous ball skipped by Hejnas at the near post but no one could get a touch on it.

Widener's Brittany Harvis almost played a nice through ball to Doyle, who crashed into a charging Giuliano, but the play was called offsides.

Sullivan's penalty was the only shot on goal in the first half. Giualiano's first save came in the 51st minute, as Kelly Buckley looped in a shot that was easily handled by the senior.

In their fourth Commonwealth tournament appearance the Lions will now take on national powerhouse Messiah, while Alvernia travels to Lebanon Valley in the other semifinal.