COLUMBIA, Md. – Dayana Rivera Cordero scored with one second left in overtime to lift the second seed CCBC Essex women's soccer team a 2-1 win over fourth seed Anne Arundel Community College in the NJCAA Region 20 Division 2 championship game Saturday at Howard Community College.
AACC (8-5-3) finishes its first year as a Division II program with the most wins since 2017 when the Riverhawks were Division III. They have made at least one appearance in the Region 20 title game in all three divisions, and all under Head Coach Jim Griffiths.
Rivera Cordero dribbled around a defender before crossing a long ball just inside the far post to win the game with one tick remaining on the clock.
Tina Tinelli put the Riverhawks on the board in the 39th minute, scoring on an absolute rocket of a free kick from long range that snuck into the upper 90.
The Riverhawks' defense did not allow a shot on goal in the opening half, and AACC keeper McKenzie Lanham stopped the first three shots of the second frame before Allyson Wysong tied up the game in the 74th minute with another long free kick that deflected off Lanham's gloves and under the crossbar.
Lanham finished the game with five saves, four of which came in the second half.
Tinelli, Ally Lavery, and Makenzie Boyd were named to the All-Tournament Team. Tinelli scored two goals in the tournament, Boyd recorded a hat trick, and Lavery had two goals and an assist. Tinelli anchored the back line that allowed just 11 shots on goal across three tournament games, boosting Lanham to back-to-back shutout wins in the quarterfinals and semifinals.