Women's Soccer | 11/1/2014 12:59:00 PM

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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Visiting Nazareth used a pair of second-half goals to overcome an early deficit Saturday as the Golden Flyers edged Skidmore, 2-1, in a non-conference women's soccer match. The game marked the regular-season finale for the 19th-ranked Golden Flyers, who finished 13-3-2. Skidmore dropped to 5-9-2.

Next up for the Golden Flyers is a trip to Ithaca for the Empire 8 Conference Touranment. As the second seed, Nazareth plays third-seeded Stevens Friday at 1:30 p.m. The championship game, which carries an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, is Saturday at 1 p.m. The Golden Flyers are seeking their first tournament appearance since 2008.

The Golden Flyers' second-half rally Saturday helped avert a potential disaster after Skidmore took a 1-0 lead on an own goal in the opening minute of play. A crossing pass by Skidmore's Arena Manning deflected off Nazareh defender Dana Donnelly and into the goal. The Golden Flyers came into the game having allowed just one goal over their four previous games, including a 0-0 tie at eighth-ranked William Smith last Tuesday.

"It was an unlucky play, but it was so early in the game that I was confident that we would come back," said Nazareth Coach Gail Mann.

The score stayed the same until midway through the second half when junior Courtney Malia netted the equalizing goal for her second tally of the season. Malia collected a loose ball 25 yards from the goal and blasted s shot through traffic that found the bottom left corner of the net. Nazareth kept up the intensity by outshooting the Thoroughbreds 11-1 in the second half and 17-6 for the game.

The perseverance paid off when sophomore Michaela Soules scored the game-winning goal with 5:30 to go for her fifth tally of the season. The play initiated from the right wing, where Christine Belding's cross-field pass landed on the foot of Kaitlyn Sowyrda. Sowyrda's intial shot was deflected, but Soules alertly kicked in the rebound to give Nazareth the lead.

"I told the team at halftime that they weren't playing like the 19th-ranked team in the country and that if they wanted to win they wuld have to fight for it," Mann said. "I thought we played a great second half and I couldn't be happier for our players."

Nazareth was able to put the finishing touches on the victory as Skidmore was unable to generate a shot in the closing minutes. Sophomore Allison Dobles gained the victory in goal for Nazareth as she was credited with three saves. Deirdre Walsh made six saves for Skidmore.