FINAL SCORE: No. 2 Vermont 1, No. 3 NJIT 0
DURHAM, N.H. – Alex Nagy struck in the eighth minute to lead second-seeded Vermont (5-1-1, 4-1-1 AE) to a 1-0 victory over third-seeded NJIT (4-5-1, 4-2 AE) in the America East Semifinals on Thursday night. The Catamounts advance to the America East Championship for the first time since 2015 and the ninth time in program history.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score: Web | PDF
America East Tournament Central
CatamounTV Highlights
Photo Gallery
Postgame: Garrett Lillie
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"Our defense came up big today and continues to be our team's identity," said head coach Rob Dow. "Our depth and how we recover will be critical for the final."

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Nagy's early goal came off a beautiful cross from Garrett Lillie. The Catamount defender found Nagy inside the 18-yard box where he delivered a header past Samuel Reisgys (2 saves) and inside the right woodwork for his first goal of the season.
• The Catamounts nearly doubled their lead in the 32nd minute when a through ball from Bjarni Adalsteinsson found Joe Morrison on the run. Morrison collected the ball in stride, but rattled a shot off the outside of the NJIT goal.
• Vermont held off a late push from the Highlanders in the final minutes of the second half. America East Striker of the Year Regsan Watkins was denied by Nate Silveira (5 saves) in the 74th and 90th minutes. Silveira also stopped a shot through heavy traffic from Sergio Pita in the 83rd minute. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Silveira's shutout is his fourth of the season in six games played. The senior has three clean sheets in his last four starts.
• Nagy and Lillie led the Catamount attack with two shots each, including one shot on goal apiece. Arian Pilja also added a shot on goal for UVM.
• Vermont improves to a 9-9-1 record all-time in the America East Semifinals and a 15-15-5 mark in the conference tournament.
• When the Cats Win, the Community Wins. With each Catamount win, Vermont Mutual Insurance donates $100 to the Vermont Foodbank. For 2020 they donated $15,000 to Spectrum Youth and Family Services. A special thank you to Vermont Mutual Insurance for their support. Vermont Mutual Insurance, protecting Vermonters since 1828. 

WHO'S NEXT
Vermont will face tournament hosts No. 1 New Hampshire (7-0-1, 5-0-1 AE) in the America East Title Game on Saturday (Apr. 17). The opening kickoff at Wildcat Stadium is slated for 4 p.m. Due to campus rules, attendance is limited to UNH students only. Fans can watch the championship action on AmericaEast.TV.