ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. – Playing in their second East Coast Conference (ECC) Women's Soccer Championship Semifinal in three seasons, the No. 3 seed Queens College women's soccer team faced the No. 2 seed Molloy University Lions at John A. Darcy Field with a spot in the championship match on the line.
After trailing 1-0 at halftime, the Knights battled back as rookie
Mia Hanson recorded her team-leading seventh assist of the season, setting up senior
Anna Tavantzis for her sixth goal of the year to even the score at 1-1 in the 74th minute. With the contest remaining tied through regulation and the first overtime, Queens looked to force a second overtime despite playing with 10 players. However, the Lions found the golden goal off a corner kick in the 103rd minute to earn a 2-1 victory and bring the Knights' 2026 campaign to a close.
MATCH RECAP
Molloy came out pressing early, earning two corner kicks before Emily Scali sent a shot wide in the sixth minute.
Queens looked to respond as senior
Ava Angiuli saw her shot sail wide in the 10th minute. The Lions continued to apply pressure, recording three shots over the next several minutes.
An offside call negated an attacking opportunity for the Knights in the 21st minute.
Molloy found the opening goal of the semifinal in the 27th minute as Scali blasted a right-footed shot past senior goalkeeper
Samantha Hines-Hirsch and into the bottom-right corner of the net.
Hines-Hirsch made two saves in the 35th and 37th minutes to keep her side within striking distance.
In the closing seconds of the first half, Tavantzis recorded Queens' first shot on target, but a timely save by Lions goalkeeper Elyse Munoz kept Molloy's 1-0 lead intact heading into the break.
Looking to mount a second-half comeback, senior
Jenna Rosenberger saw her header sail wide in the 53rd minute.
Hines-Hirsch recorded her third save of the contest in the 61st minute, denying Madison Keenan and keeping the deficit at one.
Queens began to turn up the pressure as the Knights looked to establish possession and create attacking opportunities.
Rookie
Angelina Quezada sent a shot wide in the 69th minute before senior
Ashley Kieblesz found space in the 70th minute. However, her attempt was blocked as the Lions continued to hold their 1-0 advantage.
The Knights finally broke through in the 74th minute. After Quezada earned Queens a corner kick, Hanson delivered an inswinging cross that found Tavantzis, who headed the ball into the far-left corner of the net to even the contest at 1-1.
With momentum on their side, the Knights nearly took the lead in the 76th minute, but junior
Keeley Harden's shot sailed high.
Over the final 10 minutes of regulation, Hines-Hirsch came up with three saves as Queens looked to preserve the tie and send the semifinal into overtime.
However, the Knights suffered a setback when Tavantzis received her second yellow card, forcing Queens to play with 10 players for the remainder of the contest.
Despite being down a player, the Knights controlled the first overtime period. For the second straight contest, Hanson nearly delivered the game-winning cross, but Harden's header sailed high in the 93rd minute. Queens also held the Lions without a shot throughout the first overtime.
In the second overtime, however, Molloy capitalized on a corner kick in the 103rd minute, scoring the golden goal to secure a 2-1 victory and end the Knights' season.
Head coach
Thomas Paris and the Knights conclude the 2026 campaign with an overall record of 9-5-4.
2026 Season Highlights
- Queens recorded its second winning season in three years.
- The .611 winning percentage ranks seventh-best in program history.
- The Knights made their fourth consecutive ECC postseason appearance and second semifinal appearance in three seasons.
- Queens set a program record with three Knights earning ECC major awards.
- A program-record seven Knights earned All-ECC honors, including a program-best four First Team selections in a single season.
- Paris and the Knights were ranked in the United Soccer Coaches East Region Poll for eight consecutive weeks, marking the first time in program history.
- Queens earned a program-best No. 7 ranking in the East Region on Sept. 29 and Oct. 6.
- The Knights recorded nine shutouts, matching the single-season program record set in 2009 and 2013.
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