Canisius and Sacred Heart Punch Tickets into 2025 MAAC Women’s Soccer Championship Final with Upset Wins Powered by Northeast Beef

EDISON, NJ (Nov. 6, 2025) – The 2025 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Women’s Soccer Championship semifinal round action concluded on Thursday with both top seeds falling in upset fashion. No. 3 Canisius University defeated No. 2 Quinnipiac in penalty kicks and No. 4 Sacred Heart upended defending MAAC Champions, No. 1 Fairfield.

No. 3 Canisius – 1 | No. 2 Quinnipiac – 1 (Canisius advanced on penalty kicks 4-3)
Quinnipiac Soccer and Lacrosse Stadium | HAMDEN, CT

Box Score

No. 3 Canisius (8-8-2, 7-4-1 MAAC) defeated No. 2 Quinnipiac (8-3-6, 8-0-4 MAAC) 4-3 in penalty kicks after tying 1-1 in regulation of the first semifinal round matchup of the day on Thursday afternoon in Hamden, CT.

In the first half, Canisius outshot Quinnipiac 4–2, but with two key saves from All-MAAC Third Team goalkeeper Olivia Jarvis, the semifinal headed into halftime scoreless. The start of the second half led to some more action with a goal from Maggie Cregan, a forward from Canisius by way of a penalty kick that was a result of a foul from the Bobcats’ Marina Mahon. After a red card on Canisius Molly Molloy in the 55th minute of the second half, Quinnipiac’s All-MAAC Second Team Defender, Corey Anderson fired a free kick in the upper right-hand corner of the goal equalizing the score. At the end of regulation, the contest remained knotted at 1-1, sending the match into overtime. Neither side would convert on a golden goal to end the game after the two 10 minute periods, sending the game to a penalty shootout. Canisius opened the best-of-five penalty shootout with three straight conversions, while Quinnipiac faltered on two of its first three tries, putting the Griffs ahead 3-1 in the shootout. Quinnipiac forced a fifth round in the shootout after converting its fourth kick, with Jarvis keeping the Bobcats alive by stopping sophomore Azaria Fagan’s potential clincher. Caroline Matyczyk kept Quinnipiac’s hopes alive with a successful kick in the top half of the fifth round, paving the way for Canisius senior Lizzy Harkness to seal the victory with a precise strike into the lower left side of the goal.

Canisius Notes and Notables

Canisius played a woman-down for 54 minutes, almost half of the contest.

In the second half, Cregan notched her first career goal from the penalty spot.

Canisius outnumbered Quinnipiac in saves, 6-3.

Cregan led the Griffs in shots and shots on goal (3-3)

There were no recorded assist from Canisius during this contest.

Keeper Chloe Tseros recorded six saves during the contest.

Canisius is advancing to the championship final for just the third time in program history, and the first time since 2010.

The Griffs will be seaking their first ever MAAC Championship, having loss ion both their previous trips in 2010 and 1994.

Quinnipiac Notes and Notables

Quinnipiac outnumbered Canisius in shots (15-6) and in shots on goal (7-4).

Quinnipiac recorded more corner kicks than the Griffs, 16-2.

Corey Anderson scored her fourth goal of the season with her free-kick strike in the 56th minute.

Anderson finished the season with four goals and three assists for eleven points in her first season in Hamden.

Jarvis, the Bobcat goalkeeper, made three saves in the defeat.

No. 4 Sacred Heart 1 | No. 1. Fairfield – 0
Lessing Field | FAIRFIELD, CT

Box Score

No. 4 Sacred Heart took down No. 1 Fairfield, 1-0 in the second semifinal round game of the championship on Thursday evening in Fairfield, CT, clinching its berth into the championship final.

The first 45 minutes of the game produced no goals, sending the match to the half at 0-0. After a total of five corner kicks, four from Fairfield and one from Sacred Heart, the first and only goal of the game was scored in the 85th minute of play by Sacred Heart’s All-MAAC First Team Forward, Morgan Bovardi. She was assisted by All-MAAC Second Team Forward, Shea Kelleher. In the final five minutes of play, Fairfield only got two shot attempts off in an effort to find the equalizer, but came up short, putting Sacred Heart into the championship round.

Sacred Heart Notes and Notables

Bovardi and Kelleher each had four shots, Bovardi had two shots on goal while Kelleher had one shot on target.

Sacred Heart’s All-MAAC Second Team Goalkeeper, Kyran Thievon had seven saves in the game.

Sunday will be the first ever championship final appearance for the Pioneers, which joined the MAAC only two seasons ago.

Fairfield Notes and Notables

MAAC Player of the Year, Maddy Theriault led the Stags in shots and shots on goal, recording 11 and three, respectively.

Fairfield out shot Sacred Heart, 25-12, and put mote shots on goal, 7-4.

Seven Stags contributed to the teams total number of 25 shots.

Five Stags had one or more shots on goal.

The 2025 MAAC Women’s Soccer Championship finale will take place on Sunday, November 9 as No. 3 Canisius will host No. 4 Sacred Heart in Buffalo, NY, for a chance to win the MAAC title and earn the league’s automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament.

For all information regarding the 2025 MAAC Women’s Soccer Championship, please visit maacsports.com/wsoc.

About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 13 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 45th year of competition during the 2025-26 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan University, Marist University, Merrimack College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena University.

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