BOX SCORE
BRUNSWICK, Maine - Bowdoin's Katie Herter scored the
game-winning goal in sudden-death overtime to lift the Polar Bear
women's lacrosse team to a dramatic 13-12 win over Wesleyan in
their season opener on Saturday. Bowdoin (1-0) led by as many as
six goals in the game as the Cardinals (2-3, 0-1 NESCAC) have
dropped their last two contests.
Ingrid Oelschalger and Liz Clegg scored three goals apiece for the
Polar Bears, who got two goals and two assist performances from
Carolyn Gorajek and Katie Stewart. Jess Chukwu (four goals) and
Lydia Kring (three goals) led the Cardinals, who got four assists
from Allie Lynch in the loss.
Bowdoin dominated the first half, forcing 17 Cardinal turnovers
and out-shooting the visitors 22-5. The Polar Bears used a 7-0
surge that included all three of Oelschlager's goals, to take a
commanding 8-3 edge into halftime.
Wesleyan came out firing in the second period, winning the first
four draw controls and converting them into goals, drawing to
within a single score, 8-7, after a Kring goal with 22:03 to play.
Bowdoin settled and padded their lead to two goals, 10-8 after a
Katy Dissinger tally with 7:25 to play, but the Cardinals responded
with a dramatic three-goal spurt from Eileen Gaffney, Chukwu and
Kring to take an 11-10 advantage with 3:52 remaining.
The Cardinals appeared to be in control, running out the clock
with under 45 seconds left, but a turnover gave the ball back to
Bowdoin and the Polar Bears stormed downfield with Herter finding
Clegg to tie the game with just 15 seconds left.
After Bowdoin's Katie Stewart and Wesleyan's Catherine Taibi
traded goals in the first three-minute overtime, the teams went
scoreless in the second. In the sudden death session, Bowdoin's
Emily French found Herter at the top of the circle with under 1:30
to play. Herter drove through traffic and unleashed a shot that
bounced past Wesleyan netminder Maggie Drowica at 1:14 to earn the
win.
Drowica made 15 saves for the Cardinals and added two caused
turnovers and two ground balls. Charlotte Hastings won four draw
controls for Wesleyan. Bowdoin rookies Alexandra Brown (30 minutes,
0 saves, three goals against) and Tara Connolly (37:46, five saves,
nine goals against) split time in net for the Polar Bears, who got
five groundballs and four caused turnovers from Dissinger.
