BOSTON, Mass. - The Castleton women's soccer team suffered a 4-1 loss at UMass Boston in the Little East Conference Semifinals Thursday evening. Julia Carone scored the Spartans' lone goal in the playoff loss. 

The Semifinal match featured the second and third seeds in the conference tournament. Castleton (9-6-4, 4-2-2 LEC) previously punched its ticket with a 3-0 win over Keene State, while UMass Boston (13-5-2, 6-1-1 LEC)  was set up by a first-round bye. The Spartans and Beacons recently squared off on the same field, with the hosts claiming a 2-0 victory last Saturday. 

UMass Boston claimed an early 1-0 lead in the fourth minute as Allie Crawford scored her first of two goals. Castleton would hold off the potent offensive attack for the remainder of the first half as Alex Benfatti came up with seven saves. The Spartans began to see some offensive opportunities later in the half, including a shot from Chase Livesey that sailed just wide of the right post in the 43rd minute. 

The Beacons needed just under five minutes in the second half to double their lead, and it was Crawford once again. They'd find the back of the net for a third time in the 61st minute. 

Castleton would answer the third UMass Boston tally quickly as Carone netted her fourth goal of the season in the 62nd minute. She collected a pass from Rylee Nichols, who recently recorded 100 career points, and ran into a one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper. Her 15-yard rocket trimmed the Beacons' advantage to two. 

The second-seeded Beacons rounded out the scoring in the 79th minute to reach the final 4-1 margin. 

Benfatti ended her impressive season with eight saves. Castleton tallied five shots on goal - two from Nichols, while Bella Varisco, Chase Livesey, and Carone notched one each. Total shots were 26-7 in favor of UMass Boston. 

With the playoff loss, Castleton's 2021 season has concluded.