BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Junior attack Hannah Nolan (Pepperell, Mass.) tallied the game-winning goal in overtime to lift the visiting Worcester State University women's lacrosse team to a dramatic 10-9 victory over Bridgewater State University on Sunday evening at rainy and windy Swenson Field.
The Lancers improve to 2-0 on the young season with their second win over the Bears (0-2) in the last three days.
In a tightly contested matchup in which neither team led by more than two goals, Nolan converted a nice feed from senior attack Abby Magnuson (Ellington, Conn.) with 1:41 remaining in overtime to give the visitors the win.
Senior midfielder Kylie Hill (Lunenburg, Mass.) paced Worcester State with three goals, while Nolan and sophomore attack Shea Jarvis (Auburn, Mass.) each tallied a pair of goals.
Senior midfielder Emily Hiller (Marion, Mass.) led the way for Bridgewater State with a game-high five points on three goals and two assists. Sophomore midfielder Katie O'Brien (Pembroke, Mass.) and junior attack Katherine Tracy (Marion, Mass.) checked in with two goals apiece for the Bears.
The game featured seven ties and six lead changes. Bridgewater State closed out the first half with four unanswered goals to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 lead at the break. Hiller and O'Brien each found the back of the net twice during the run.
After the Lancers potted the first three goals of the second half, including two by Hill, neither team led by more than a goal the rest of the way. Tracy accounted for the final tie of the game as she converted off an assist from junior midfielder Hayley Carron (Hopedale, Mass.) to knot the score at 9-9 with 4:40 remaining in regulation. BSU sophomore goalkeeper Olivia Kerrigan (Braintree, Mass.) made a nice stop on an Abby Lauzon (Lakeville, Mass.) scoring bid with 3:44 showing on the scoreboard, and the Bears had a shot sail over the crossbar with just over a minute left on the clock as the game went to overtime.
Kerrigan and counterpart Chloe O'Brien (Sturbridge, Mass.) both came up with clutch saves in the overtime session before Nolan won it for the Lancers.
O'Brien turned aside nine shots to record her second win of the season between the pipes for Worcester State. Kerrigan made ten saves in goal for the Bears.
The Lancers finished with a 25-21 shot advantage and also held a 13-9 edge in draw controls. Sophomore midfielder Sarah DesVergnes (Limerick, Maine), who tallied a game-best three assists, led all players with five controlled draws while Hill notched four. Senior defender Lauren Arbec (Fairhaven, Mass.) paced the Worcester defensive effort with six caused turnovers.
Hiller registered a team-best four draw controls for the hosts, while senior midfielder Kelsi Brennan (Dedham, Mass.) notched a game-high seven caused turnovers.
Both teams struggled in the clearing game, as the Bears went 11-for-22 in clear attempts and the Lancers converted just 9 of 19.
Up Next: The Bears host Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) rival Framingham State University on Thursday night at 7:30. The Lancers travel to Salem State University on Saturday for a noontime MASCAC game with the Vikings.