STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In their first year in the league, St. Joseph's College captured the 2012 Hudson Women’s Athletic Conference Soccer Championship defeating Berkeley College, 2-0, on Sunday afternoon at the College of Staten Island Soccer Complex.
The Lady Bears got on the board first in the 14th minute when freshman midfielder and all-conference selection Pamela Chernyakhovsky stole the ball from outside the box, dribbled past the defense and shot the ball into the back of the net for the game-winner.
In a defensive-minded game that produced limited scoring opportunities, St. Joseph’s carried the 1-0 lead into the intermission.
Berkeley all-conference honoree Kerrann Haughton, who scored the lone goal in the Knights’ semifinal win over Yeshiva, moved into the field out of goal in the second half in an attempt to generate some offense, but Tournament MVP, Lady Bears junior defender Daniela Semilia, helped limit the Knights to three second-half shots and junior Nicole Farinella finished with four saves en route to the shutout.
Freshman Daniella Valencia scored in the 85th minute for St. Joseph’s to help seal the victory.
The championship is the first official tournament title awarded by the league since Medgar Evers claimed the title in 2009.
Leading her team to a 6-3-1 record, the HVWAC regular season championship and a 2012 United States Collegiate Athletic Association National Championship appearance, Albany Pharmacy head coach Christine Kanawada was selected by the league coaches as 2012 Soccer Coach of the Year.
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2012 HVWAC Soccer Championships
Semifinals
#1 St. Joseph's def. #4 Medgar Evers,
1-0 (forfeit)
#2 Berkeley def. #3 Yeshiva, 1-0
Championship
#1 St. Joseph's def. #2 Berkeley, 2-0
Tournament MVP
Daniela Semilia, St. Joseph's - Jr. - Defender
Tournament Champions
St. Joseph's College
Regular Season Champions
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
2012 All-Conference Team
| Pam Chernyakhovsky | St. Joseph's | Fr. | F | Brooklyn, NY |
| Yishka Chin | Medgar Evers | Sr. | GK | Montego Bay, Jamaica |
| Sarah Cope * | Albany Pharmacy | So. | S | Broadalbin, NY |
| Anna Folkesson | Berkeley | Fr. | F | Helsinborg, Sweden |
| Kerry Ann Haughton | Berkeley | Fr. | GK | Queens, NY |
| Meira Lerner * | Yeshiva | Sr. | M | Sharon, MA |
| Skippy Ripepi * | Albany Pharmacy | Jr. | M | Amsterdam, NY |
| Yael Roberts * | Yeshiva | Jr. | M | Potomac, MD |
| Daniela Semilia | St. Joseph's | Jr. | D | Brooklyn, NY |
| Alexis Thayer | Albany Pharmacy | Sr. | D | Ithaca, NY |
| Daniella Valencia | St. Joseph's | Fr. | F | Corona, NY |
| Alexandra Weston | Albany Pharmacy | So. | GK | Chaumont, NY |
* Denotes 2011 All-Conference Team selection
2012 Coach of the Year
Christine Kanawada, Albany Pharmacy