SAINTS EDGE RENSSELAER 12-11

IN DOUBLE OVERTIME THRILLER

Apr. 18: Sophomore Mary Jane Sweetland tallied the game-winning goal with just six seconds left in double overtime to lead the St. Lawrence University women’s lacrosse team to a 12-11 triumph over Liberty League opponent Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Friday on a sunny North Country Field, avenging their 10-9 loss to the Red Hawks in 2007.

Sweetland’s ( Hopewell, NJ/Stuart Country Day) goal, her first game-winner of the season and her second of her collegiate career, helps the Saints improve to a 10-4 overall and 4-3 in the conference. It is the first time since 2003 the squad has won ten games in a season, and the Scarlet and Brown maintain their perfect overtime record this season with the win, tallying their third of their 2008 campaign. Rensselaer fell to 6-5 overall and 1-4 in the Liberty League with the loss.

Junior Amanda Forbes (Glens Falls, NY/ Glens Falls) was critical to the Saints’ success, tallying two goals and an assist, but also winning 10 of St. Lawrence’s 19 draw controls that led to several fast break chances. Others scoring for St. Lawrence were senior co-captain Alanna Waters (Darien, CT/Taft), who added three goals and an assist, rookie Kim Morse (Peaks Island, ME/Yarmouth Academy) and Sweetland who each had two while adding an assist, while sophomores Julie Wooters (New Canaan, CT/New Canaan) and Katrina Knickerbocker (Clinton Corners, NY/The Gunnery), and first-year Kelsey Redpath (Norwich, VT/Hanover) each had a goal. Senior co-captain Liz Skinner (Liverpool, NY/ Liverpool) tallied an assist.

A goal from Forbes and two from Waters opened up a first half that belonged to the Saints, as the home team enjoyed a 3-0 lead just a 1:48 into the contest. Smooth transitions, taking advantage of fast break opportunities and strong defensive efforts defined the Scarlet and Brown in the first part of the half, only allowing one Red Hawk goal in the opening 25 minutes. Sweetland tallied her first goal of the afternoon, while Morse and Knickerbocker each added one to give the Saints a 6-1 lead with 7:20 remaining in the first.

Rensselaer’s Stephanie Caouette recorded her first of the contest, while teammate Sam Fennessey, who recorded the first goal for the Big Red, added another to cut St. Lawrence’s lead in half to end the first period with a 6-3 score in favor of the Saints.

The tables turned in the second as Rensselaer was able to hone in on their stronger offensive players and find ways to the goal en route to overcoming their first half deficit. The Red Hawks outscored the Saints 5-2 in the first 16 minutes of the second period to tie the game 8-8. Waters was fed the ball by Sweetland to give the lead back to St. Lawrence, but the visiting team came back and scored on a free position to tie it once again.

Rensselaer took a 10-9 lead, their first of the contest, with just 3:42 remaining on the clock after an unassisted goal from Caouette, but St. Lawrence continued to put on the pressure. Morse found herself in front of the net after a free-position shot by Forbes, and got the rebound and put it past Red Hawk Ariana Hood to tie the game 10-10 with 41 seconds to go in regulation, forcing the two teams into overtime.

Rensselaer’s Emily Donowick tallied the first goal in overtime with just over three minutes to play to give the Red Hawks a bit of momentum heading into the last part of the period. But a turnover on the part of the visitors gave Redpath control of the ball, as she stormed down the field and shot it into the net to tie it once again at 11-11 with 1:20 to go. Neither team was able to take advantage of the final moments as they braced for a sudden death second overtime.

Each team had a chance early on in the fourth period to end the contest, but neither was able to do so until Saints’ first-year goalie Anna Marchand (Concord, MA/Middlesex) made a crucial save and got the ball down in the opposite end, where St. Lawrence set up a play and fed the ball to Sweetland, who got the ball at the top of the eight-meter and headed towards goal. The sophomore hesitated slightly, as did her defender, giving Sweetland that much more control as she beat the Red Hawk defense and drove it into the net for the game-winner with only six seconds left in the period.

“This team has found a way throughout the season to win the one goal games, and that says a lot for their character and composure, as well as their will to win,” said Saints’ Head Coach Jodi Canfield. “ Rensselaer played solid defensively with a strategy that frustrated some of our key players, but that didn’t stop any of them. [Marchand] came up big in goal for us in the final minutes, as we’ve seen a number of times this season, while [Forbes] was crucial in winning those draw controls.”

The Saints out shot Rensselaer 35-20 and 26-18, while the Red Hawks had 19 ground ball pick ups, compared to St. Lawrence’s 16. Hood had 12 saves for the visitors, including a key save in overtime, while Marchand tallied seven.

The Saints find themselves still in the running for a spot in the Liberty League Tournament heading into Saturday’s game with Vassar, the last regular season game for St. Lawrence. The contest with the Brewers is scheduled to begin at 3:00pm on North Country Field.