WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Simmons junior Carolyn Berndt (Trumbull, Conn.) buried the clinching penalty kick to lift the No. 4 Simmons Sharks over the No. 1 University of Saint Joseph Blue Jays after a scoreless Great Northeast Athletic Conference game at the University of Hartford Thursday evening. The Sharks advance to the GNAC soccer championship game after winning the penalty kick shootout, 4-2.

The Sharks registered seven shots on goal, with senior Justine Beauchamp (Exeter, N.H.) and Desh Perera (Reading, Mass.) each testing Blue Jays goalkeeper Melissa Dodge. Saint Joseph had their two best chances to score during the 110 minutes of field action when Patricia Nolan slid a shot across the goalmouth in the first half that narrowly missed the far post. With two minutes left in the second overtime, Katie Mirabella hit the near post with the potential game-winner.

Both teams scored with their first two penalty kicks as Nicole Mendelson and Mirabella made good for the Blue Jays and Keri Acheson (Peabody, Mass.) and Beauchamp scored for Simmons. Goalkeeper Briana Hayes (Manorville, N.Y.) made a huge save for the Sharks and Kristyn Heuslein (Manchester, N.H.) followed with a goal to stake the Sharks to a 3-2 edge in the five-round shootout. After a USJ shot was missed, Berndt knocked in the clincher, negating the final round of kicks.

USJ outshot Simmons, 17-10 and had more shots on goal, 13-7, but Hayes made 12 saves to force the game to penalty kicks.

No. 4 Simmons will play at No. 2 Lasell Sunday, November 4th in the final. Lasell beat Emmanuel 4-0 in Thursday's other GNAC semifinal.