DANBURY, Conn. (10/17/17/) – Junior Cailin Flannery (Medford, Mass.) scored the non-conference equalizer and overtime game-winner in the 82nd minute to propel the Lasell field hockey team over Western Connecticut State, 3-2, in non-conference action Tuesday evening at The Westside Athletic Complex.
The Lasers improve to a blistering 13-3 overall, winning their first overtime game of the season, while the Colonials drop to 5-11 this season.
The visitors pierced the scoring column less than one minute into the contest when sophomore forward Samantha Taylor (Hanover, Mass.) netted her 12th goal of the season. WestConn responded to even the count at 1-1 late in first half when Jacalyn Doerwald (Washington Depot, Conn.) knocked the ball over to classmate Morgan Matthews (Bethel, Conn.), who flipped it right back to Doerwald as she connected on her second goal of the year.
The Colonials seized a 2-1 advantage early in the second stanza when Matthews dished out her second assist of the game, this time connecting with Carly Matasavage (Middlebury, Conn.) for the go-ahead tally. The hosts controlled much of the tempo the rest of the half, however, the Lasers were able to net the equalizer with less than three minutes remaining in regulation when Flannery smacked in a shot off a rebound to make it 2-2. Shortly thereafter, the Lasers attempted to score in breakaway fashion, but were unable to move quickly enough for the shot as time expired, forcing the extra session.
Flannery would notch the game-winner in overtime when she took a feed from Taylor and slipped the ball past the outstretched arms of Colonial rookie goalkeeper Neve Manion (Newington, Conn). Manion would finish with four saves, while senior Denise Landry (New Milford, Conn.) recorded nine.
Lasell returns home to Grellier Field for its final two contests of its most successful season to date. The Lasers will host Simmons College in a crucial GNAC matchup slated for 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, before wrapping up the regular season with a home match against Framingham on Wednesday, October 25.