Seahawks fall to Warriors in overtime

MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – Sophomore Tess Mraz (Fairfield, Conn.) scored with 45 seconds left in overtime to lift Eastern Connecticut State to a 9-8 win over the Salve Regina women's lacrosse team, Friday afternoon.

With the loss, the Seahawks slip to 2-3 on the year while the Warriors pick up their first win at 1-4 on the season.

Senior Grace Kelly (Auburn, N.Y.) took a quick pass from classmate Karley Malenczak (Sayville, N.Y.) and beat the Warrior goalie to her left to tie the game at 7-7 with 1:25 to play in regulation. The Warriors took control of the ball and brought into their offensive zone and after a yellow card for the Seahawks gave them a man-up opportunity, the Warriors could not get through the Seahawk defense and the game went into overtime.

Senior Ashley Wolk (Barrington, R.I.) controlled the opening draw of overtime and took it straight to the goal for her fourth goal of the season to give the Warriors a quick 8-7 lead in the extra period. With 37 seconds left in the first part of overtime, freshman Kaitlin Gillespie (Haddam, Conn.) drew a foul inside the arc and was award a free position shot, which she converted to re-tie the game at 8-8.

Junior Meg Eremita (South Windsor, Conn.) handed the ball off to Mraz with 45 seconds showing on the clock after a good clear attempt from the Warriors who sent it high above senior goalie Josephine O'Reilly's (Middletown,R.I.) shoulder for the game-winning goal.

The first half saw very little scoring action as the two teams took a 2-1 score in favor of the Seahawks into halftime. Junior Sarah Woods (East Lyme, Conn.) broke the 0-0 tie with nine minutes to play for her 14^th goal of the year. Mraz netted her first of the game 2:25 later to tie the game, 1-1. Kelly broke the tie with her 11^th of the season on a free position shot with one minute to play in the half.

Senior Erin Conn (Moriches, N.Y.) and Woods traded the first four goals of the second half, all within the first nine minutes to give Salve Regina a 4-3 lead in the second. Wolk and freshman Paige Schneider (East Lyme, Conn.) scored back-to-back goals for the Warriors to give ECSU its first lead of the game at 5-45 with 17:50 to play.

Woods answered right back with her 17^th of the year and fourth of the game to tie it at 5-5 with 11:26 showing but Conn and senior Mikaely Whitehouse (Columbia, Conn.) score back-to-back goals to give the Warriors a two goal lead, 7-5.

Malenczak and Kelly went back-to-back with goals to end the half to tie the game and send it into overtime.

Woods led all players with four goals in the game while Conn led the Warriors with three.

O'Reilly suffered the loss in net for the Seahawks, allowing nine goals but making 11 saves in the 66 minutes while freshman Taylor Emmerson picked up her first collegiate win with 12 saves and eight goals allowed.

The Warriors return to action when they travel to Hilton Head, S.C. to face Ramapo on Monday at 11 a.m. while the Seahawks get back on the turf on Tuesday when they welcome Rhode Island College for a 4:30 p.m. start.