Field Hockey Falls to Wheaton, 4-3, in Double Overtime

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Wheaton College field hockey team stunned host Bridgewater State University as the visiting Lyons pulled out a dramatic 4-3 double overtime victory on Tuesday night at Swenson Field.

Senior forward Jenna Rocha (Rehoboth, Mass.) netted the game winner for the Lyons who improve to 6-11 on the season and won for the first time in Bridgewater since 2005.  The Bears, who were ranked sixth in the latest Division III New England West Region rankings, fall to 14-3 overall and saw their 11-game winning streak come to an end.

The Lyons are only the third team all season to score more than two goals against the Bears. Bridgewater entered the game leading all of Division III in save percentage and ranked third in both shutouts and goals against average. The Bears, in fact, had given up just four goals total during their 11-game winning streak.

Both teams started out strong in the first ten minutes of play with each team netting a goal.  Sophomore forward Jennifer Arnold (West Yarmouth, Mass.) opened the scoring just 3:51 into the game as she found the left corner of the net off a feed from senior forward Carissa Vizakis (Bellingham, Mass.).  Wheaton responded quickly when junior midfielder Sarah McNicholas (Boxboro, Mass.) picked up a deflected ball in the box and ripped a shot into the open left side.

The Lyons would take a 2-1 lead into the intermission as McNicholas potted her second goal of the contest with a shot into the right corner of the net off a crossing pass from senior forward Emily Chick (Bangor, Maine).

Less than two minutes into the second half, freshman forward Amelia Gage (Lebanon, N.H.) staked Wheaton to a two-goal advantage as she beat the BSU netminder with a shot from just inside the half-circle.

The score remained 3-1 in favor of the Lyons for the next 19 minutes.  Bridgewater, however, would stage a comeback with senior forward Demi Miskiv (Centerville, Mass.) pulling the Bears to within one with her tenth goal of the season in the 56th minute.  Off a short touch pass from senior defender Olivia Galvin (Mashpee, Mass.), Miskiv deposited a shot inside the right post to make it a 3-2 game.

Then, with less than four minute remaining in regulation, Arnold slipped a pass across the middle to an open Vizakis whose shot from the left side found its way into the back of the net to knot the game at 3-3.  For Vizakis, the goal marked her team-leading 16th of the season and 30th of her career.

After neither team could dent the scoreboard in the first overtime period, the stage was set for Rocha's heroics in the second extra session.  Midway through the period, McNicholas took a shot that was deflected high up in the air by a BSU defender.  Senior goaltender Kacie Sturgeon (Dartmouth, Mass.) attempted to bat the ball out of the air with her blocker but fanned on the attempt.  The ball fell behind her and Rocha easily tapped in the game-winner into a wide open net.

Bridgewater held a 14-11 shot advantage for the game as well as a 9-5 edge in penalty corners.  Junior Madison Wolters (Marstons Mills, Mass.) and senior Ellie Massengill (Amherts, Mass.) combined to make three saves in goal for the Lyons, while Sturgeon turned aside six shots for the Bears.

The regular season concludes on Saturday for both teams.  Bridgewater travels to play Little East rival Plymouth State University at noon, while Wheaton visits NEWMAC foe Mount Holyoke College also at noon.