SWARTHMORE, Pa. – For the eighth time this season, the 13th-ranked Ursinus field hockey team entered overtime but unfortunately fell, 2-1, on a last-second goal against No. 15 Swarthmore College in the Centennial Conference playoff semifinals on Thursday at Clothier Field.
With the loss, Ursinus falls to 14-5 on the season, while the Garnet improve to 12-6 and advance to the Centennial Conference championship to face No. 9 Johns Hopkins on Saturday.
The Bears earned the first scoring chances in the fourth minute, generating a pair of penalty corner opportunities, but a shot on goal by senior
Marie Brainard was turned away by the Garnet defense. Ursinus continued to control possession throughout the quarter, tallying a corner and a shot in the 13th minute, but the teams remained scoreless at the end of the first period.
The Garnet responded at the start of the second stanza, scoring in the 16th minute to take a 1-0 lead. On the play, a long pass was deflected past the Bears' defense, where Swarthmore's Avery Bloom was waiting and capitalized on the opportunity. The Bears answered with shots on target by sophomore
Carlyn McKendrick and Brainard, but both attempts were denied by the Garnet defense as Ursinus entered halftime trailing by one.
The Bears increased the pressure to open the second half and were awarded a penalty corner in the 34th minute. However, sophomore
Kylie Moore's shot was kicked away to keep Swarthmore's lead at one. Ursinus continued to keep the Swarthmore defense busy, earning a pair of corners before being awarded a penalty stroke in the 44th minute. Junior
Katie Studzinski stepped up for the Bears and fired a shot into the top-left corner to tie the game at one for her fifth goal of the season. The goal marked her fourth consecutive game with a point and evened the score entering the fourth period.
The Bears' defense opened the fourth period by denying a corner opportunity by the Garnet, before Moore and Brainard each fired shots on goal for Ursinus. Unfortunately, both attempts were turned away by Swarthmore, keeping the contest tied. The biggest save of the night came with 1:25 remaining in regulation, as an initial shot by the Garnet slipped past first-year goalie
Elise Martin. However, Martin quickly recovered and backhanded the ball away to send the game into overtime.
Ursinus created the first two corner opportunities in overtime but came away without a shot as both teams searched for the golden goal. Both teams recorded one shot on goal during the remainder of the first overtime period as the contest entered a second overtime.
The Bears continued to pressure the Garnet defense, firing four shots on goal through the first five minutes, but each opportunity was saved by the Swarthmore defense. With time winding down, Swarthmore capitalized on an opportunity as Magdelena Jordan dribbled around the Bears' defense and found Libby Castle in front of the cage. Castle slipped a shot past Martin to deliver the game-winning golden goal with one second remaining, handing Ursinus a 2-1 defeat.
Ursinus held a 20-6 advantage in shots, along with a 15-5 lead in shots on goal. The Bears also held an 18-2 advantage in penalty corners. Swarthmore's Josie Sarno earned the victory in goal, recording a career-high 14 saves, while Martin suffered the loss with three saves.
The Bears close out a tremendous season, earning five victories over top-25 opponents, and will await the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship selection show.
