CHESTERTOWN, Md. – Senior
Marie Brainard scored the game-winning goal as time expired in the first overtime to lift the 14th-ranked Ursinus field hockey team past Washington College, 3-2, on the road at Kibler Field.
With the victory, Ursinus improves to 9-3 overall and 2-2 in Centennial Conference play, while the Shorewomen fall to 3-9 on the season and 1-4 in conference action. The victory marked the Bears' second consecutive overtime win and their fourth win in extra time this season.
Seniors
Ava Mikulski and Brainard, along with junior
Ava Wood, led the Bears' offense with a goal apiece, while junior
Katie Studzinski added an assist. Brainard's game-winning goal marked her 11th goal of the season, which ranks second in the Centennial Conference.
The Bears jumped out to a quick start, tallying a pair of goals in the first period to grab an early 2-0 lead. Just 21 seconds into the game, Studzinski fired a pass into the circle, finding Mikulski in front of the cage. Mikulski snuck a shot past the Shorewomen goalkeeper to put Ursinus ahead, 1-0.
The Bears continued their offensive pressure, earning three penalty corners and recording four shots before Wood scored the Bears' second goal of the period. On a counterattack, Brainard found Wood behind the Shorewomen's back line. After her initial shot was saved, Wood connected on her second attempt to extend the Bears' lead to two.
Washington College responded with a pair of shots to close out the period, but both attempts were denied by the Bears' defense to keep Ursinus ahead entering the second stanza. The Bears earned multiple chances to open the second, totaling four shots, but were turned away as the period progressed. The Shorewomen answered with 2:37 remaining in the first half, as Erin Houlihan scored to trim their deficit to one at halftime.
The contest remained scoreless in the third period, with Ursinus controlling possession and outshooting the Shorewomen, 5-1, to maintain a 2-1 advantage entering the fourth. The Bears tallied a pair of penalty corners to open the period, but Washington College capitalized on a scoring opportunity at the 54:26 mark to even the score at 2-2.
Ursinus responded with a pair of penalty corners over the final five minutes but was unable to capitalize as the contest entered overtime. The Bears maintained possession throughout the first overtime, outshooting Washington College, 9-0, before Brainard scored as time expired to give Ursinus a 3-2 victory.
With five seconds remaining and the Bears awarded a penalty corner, senior
Rachel Fosbenner inserted the ball to Brainard at the top of the circle. Brainard made a move past the first Shorewomen defender before firing a shot into the back of the cage to secure the 3-2 victory.
Ursinus held a sizable 29-8 advantage in shots, an 18-6 lead in shots on goal and a 22-3 edge in penalty corners. First-year goalkeeper
Elise Martin earned the victory with four saves, while Washington College's Charlotte Schurman suffered the loss despite recording a career-high 15 saves.
The Bears return to action Saturday, October 17th, hosting Bryn Mawr College at noon at Snell Field Hockey Field.
