Box Score WILKES-BARRE (PA) – Nikki Dunlap scored late in the first half as it stood up the rest of the way as the Delaware Valley College women's soccer team clinched a berth in the Freedom Conference tournament thanks to its 1-0 win at King's College.
 
It's the first time that head coach Kevin Doherty and his Aggies have reached the conference postseason since they went to the Freedom title game in 2008. This year's edition has no seniors on the 15-player roster (three juniors, eight sophomores, four freshmen) and they were picked to finish last in the eight-team conference in the coaches' preseason poll.
 
Instead, Saturday's win improved Delaware Valley to 6-9-2 overall and, more importantly, 3-2-1 in Freedom action. In fact, the squad is 3-0-1 league road contests this season. They are currently third in the standings with one game left (home against FDU-Florham next Saturday) and will finish either third or fourth when the regular season ends. That will mean a Freedom semifinal contest at either two-time defending champion Misericordia University or DeSales University on Wednesday, November 5.
 
Late in the first half, the Aggies had a restart from about 45 yards out after a King's (4-8-2, 1-4) foul. Brooke Kitting placed a long boot into the box and Dunlap made a run behind the defenders. She got to the ball before the Lady Monarch goalkeeper and slid it past her for the junior's sixth goal of the season.
 
The goal was one of just two shots by Delaware Valley in the first half. The team had only three for the full 90 minutes while King's had 13. The Lady Monarchs also had a 9-0 advantage in corners.
 
Claudia Winters made her first start in eight games for the Aggies and made four stops, en route to her fourth win and fourth shutout. Jessica Natale had one save for King's.