Poughkeepsie, NY – Coming off a 1-0 overtime win over Ithaca on Friday in the Semifinal Round, the #20 Vassar College Women's Soccer team will host #3 seed RIT Sunday afternoon in the Liberty League Championship Final. Kick-off at Gordon Field is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. with Live Stats and Video available for those unable to attend.
At A Glance
- Vassar advanced to its fourth ever Championship Final with a 1-0 overtime victory against #5 seed Ithaca Friday afternoon.
- The Brewers enter Sunday's game with a 15-3 overall record and ranked #20 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Top-25.
- Vassar has set a program record for wins in a season, surpassing the previous mark of 13 achieved in 1995 and 1997.
- Vassar leads the Liberty League in scoring, averaging 2.72 goals per game, leading to a league-best 2.00 scoring margin.
- The Brewers have recorded 35 assists to date in 2025, seven helpers more than the next highest mark in the conference.
How We Got Here
- Vassar outlasted #5 seed Ithaca 1-0 in Friday's semifinal.
- After a scoreless 90 minutes, Gianna Panarelli (Jensen Beach, FL) buried the game winner just 20 seconds into overtime.
- Laura Shea (Swarthmore, PA) produced her sixth shutout of the season with four saves.
- Ithaca finished the game with a 9-8 edge in overall shots, while Vassar held the advantage in shots on goal 5-4.
A Look At The Brewers
- Friday's goal marked the third straight game with a tally for Panarelli and fifth in the last six.
- Panarelli moved into a tie for the team lead in goals (9), game winning goals (4) and points (21) with Friday's marker.
- First Year Ava Holman (St. Louis, MO) joins Panarelli with nine goals, four game winners and 21 points on the season.
- Fellow First Year Sonya Franklin (Lancaster, PA) checks in with eight goals and 18 points for the Brewers.
- Riley McGrath (Coronado, CA) supports the scoring attack with 16 points on the strength of six goals and four assists.
- Elena Valle (Rocky Hill, CT) has put together a strong rookie season with 12 points, scoring four goals and helping on four others.
- Senior Rebecca Rodriguez (Santa Barbara, CA) leads the team with nine assists and has totaled 13 points for Vassar.
- Shea has played 1,418:52 of a possible 1,620:40 in goal for the Brewers to date in 2025.
- Shea has made 52 saves for the Brewers while posting six clean sheets, an .813 save percentage and a 0.76 goals against average.
Previewing The Tigers
- RIT comes to town off an upset semifinal win over #22 William Smith on Friday and holds a 10-3-6 overall record.
- Elena Onedera sits atop the team leaderboard with seven goals, including four game winners, and 15 points.
- Bella Coccio has potted four goals and totaled nine points.
- Daniella Malanga leads the Tigers with three helpers on the season.
- In goal, Emily Sanchez has started 16 games and holds an .810 save percentage and a 0.78 goals against average.
- Sanchez has recorded five shutouts to date and turned aside 51 opponent shots.
Regular Season Meeting
- Vassar traveled to RIT on October 4 and came away with a 2-0 victory against the then #24 Tigers.
- McGrath scored what proved to be the game winner in the 21st minute, finishing off a passing play started by Rodriguez and Franklin.
- Rodriguez added an insurance goal, converting a penalty kick in the 33rd minute.
- Shea made one save to earn the shutout.
- Vassar was outshot 13-10 overall in the game, but held a 3-1 edge in shots on goal.
Recent History Vs. RIT
- Since the start of the 1990 season, Vassar holds a 12-6-5 record against the Tigers.
- The Brewers are 5-1-2 against RIT in the last eight meetings.
- The two sides will meet for the fourth time in the conference tournament since 2017.
- Vassar topped RIT in the semifinal round in both 2017 and 2019.
- RIT posted a First Round victory over the Brewers in 2022.
Recent Liberty League Championship History
- Vassar will appear in the Liberty League Championship Final for the fourth time and for the first time since 2019.
- The Brewers earned the top seed in the event for the first time in program history.
- Vassar is in search of the first conference crown in program history.
- 2025 marks the 11th time in the last 15 seasons there has been a championship (no championship in 2020) that the Brewers have qualified.
League Leaders
- Rodriguez leads the Liberty League in assists.
- Holman and Panarelli are each tied for second in the conference in total goals and total points.
- Franklin sits fifth in the Liberty League in total points.
- McGrath checks in eighth in the conference in total points.
- Shea ranks fourth in the conference in goals against average, fifth in save percentage and eighth in saves per game (3.06).
- For RIT, Onodera is tied for seventh on the league leaderboard in total goals.
- Sachez sits third in goals against average, sixth in save percentage and ninth in saves per game (3.00).
What's At Stake
- The winner of Sunday's game will win its first Liberty League Championship.
