Newton, MA— It took two overtime sessions for the University of Maine at Farmington to pull away with a 3-2 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) field hockey victory over Lasell College on Saturday afternoon at Grellier Field. The Beavers and the Lasers matched up evenly for over ninety minutes before Emma Deans (Gorham, ME) executed the game-winning goal in the 92nd minute.
The Lasers came out strong in the opening minutes when Natasha Wood (White River Junction, VT) stole away with the first goal of the conference tussle just 7:37 into the game. Wood took a feed from Tia Pratt (Oxford Hills, ME) and completed on the pass, giving Lasell a 1-0 edge.
Over forty minutes of play ensued without another score change until Farmington's Sara Lane (Hiram, ME) put uninterrupted goals into Lasell's net. Lane was unaided in both her ventures, which she scored less than two minutes apart.
Lasell would even the score and to induce the obligatory extra
frame when Alicia
Chapdelaine (Lunenburg, MA) nipped in her second goal of the
season to equalize the playing field at two-all.
The first overtime came and went with no change in score. With just 6:22 left before a stalemate would be declared, Deans charged in and tucked away the game-ending shot.
Sarah Brown (Windham, ME) was awarded the win in net for the Beavers making 13 saves in her endeavors. Lasell's Christine Thornton (Canton, MA) turned aside nine Beaver shots-on-goal in a formidable showing.
Both goalkeepers were also assisted by their back field who presented an astonishing total of six defensive saves in the contest. Kaleigh Chase (Wells, ME) and Lane each recorded one for Farmington. Amanda Gorski (Wethersfield, CT) knocked away two chances for Lasell and Jennifer McGurgan (Southington, CT) and Ainsley Wolfe (Derry, NH) each clipped an additional save for the Lasers.
Lasell faces off tomorrow, Sunday, October 3rd, against Thomas College in another NAC matchup on Grellier Field. The Lasers and the Terriers will meet at 1:00 p.m.