Field Hockey Falls to WPI, 3-2, in OT

Courtesy of WPI Sports Information Director, Rusty Eggen 

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Danielle Antonellis (Duxbury, MA) forced overtime on a goal with 33 seconds remaining in regulation setting up a dramatic game-winner by Meghan Linskey (Bridgewater, MA) 1:19 into the extra session to lift host WPI to a improbable 3-2 victory over  Bridgewater State in non-conference field hockey action on Tuesday evening.

WPI moves to 3-0 on the young season while the contest was the 2010 opener for the Bears.

Trailing 2-1 in the final minute, the Engineers earned a penalty corner.  Antonellis knocked home the equalizer after an insertion from Megan Read (Wrentham, Mass.) and a stick stop by Celena Dopart (Washington, DC).  WPI quickly earned another corner early in overtime and went home a winner after Paige Hanson (East Hartford, Conn.) found Linskey, who buried a shot after a scrum.  

BSU opened the scoring 6:51 into the contest when Nicole Henrique (Swansea, Mass.) converted a feed from Stephanie Lannon (Swampscott, Mass.).  Lannon then dented the scoring column herself with 12 minutes left before halftime when she knocked home a pass by Justine Fox (Harwich, Mass.) following a jam in front of the WPI net.   The Bears had the better of the play in the opening stanza, outshooting the Engineers 9-3 and taking 11 of 12 penalty corners. 

WPI got back into the game when Maggie Wiggly (Bridgewater, Mass.) found the back of net on a Dopart assist 10:29 into the second half.  

Aly Caceres (Fall River, Mass.) turned away six shots en route to picking up the win for WPI.  The Engineer backline effort was aided by defensive saves by Katye Milligan (Skowhegan, Maine) and Caitlin Kelley (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.).  Bridgewater State netminder Katie Weber (Arlington, Mass.) was credited with seven stops on the night   

For the game, Bridgewater State enjoyed a 18-12 edge in shots and a wide 17-4 advantage in corners.

Both teams are off until Saturday when WPI heads out to Union (N.Y.) for a 2pm match while Bridgewater State visits UMass-Dartmouth for a noon faceoff.