Lacrosse Rallies to Beat Buffalo State in OT

Apr 5, 2006

Boxscore

BUFFALO – The Allegheny College lacrosse team entered its first overtime of the 2006 campaign today, and went on to score two goals in the six-minute overtime session, capping a 9-8 come-from-behind victory over Buffalo State (4-4). Danie Parsons (Brookpark, Ohio/ Magnificat) (below, right) scored the game-tying goal at the end of regulation, and went on to pick up the game winner in the extra session.

The win improves Allegheny’s record to 3-4, and ends a four-game slide for the Gators.

The two teams traded goals over the first 15 minutes of action, with Ashley Hughes (Wexford/ North Allegheny) (below, left) grabbing Allegheny’s first two goals, the second of which tied the game at two goals apiece.

Buffalo State went on two net the next two scores, taking the 4-2 lead, but Kelly Towns (Pittsburgh/ Mt. Lebanon) scored for the Gators with just over a minute remaining in the half, narrowing the Bengal lead to just one goal.

The Gators came out sluggish in the second half, surrendering three-straight Buffalo State goals in the opening eight minutes, but those goals would be the last of the half for the Bengals.

Less than a minute after Buffalo State acquired the 7-3 lead, Allegheny’s Michelle Dudevoir (West Point, N.Y./ O’Neill) scored her fifth goal of the season, narrowing the host team’s lead to three goals.

After 19 minutes of scoreless action, however, it appeared Allegheny would be unable to mount a comeback. The Bengals had slowed the pace of the game, and with just over two minutes remaining in the contest, the home team had practically secured the win.

There was more fight left in the Gators, though, as Towns notched her second goal of the contest with 2:12 remaining. Then, just over twenty seconds later, after Hughes won the ensuing draw, Emily Deering (Hollis, Maine/ Bonny Eagle) scored, bringing the score to 7-6 in favor of the Bengals.

The Bengals were now on their heels, and with 70 seconds remaining, they turned the ball over. With 45 seconds on the clock Parsons would take the potential game-tying shot, but the ball sailed wide. Allegheny’s Laura Hoch (Moon Township/ Sewickley Academy) would scoop up the loose ball, however, and Parsons would get the ball back. Finally, with just 31 seconds to play, Parsons would tie the game, sending the contest to overtime.

The score 7-7, the teams prepared for six extra minutes of play. Neither team had been to overtime on the year, and while Allegheny was attempting to make the big comeback, Buffalo State was attempting to avoid the loss after having held a four-goal lead; a lead that had stood at three goals with 2:12 remaining in the game.

Buffalo State would fail in its attempt to slow the Gators, as 1:09 into the period Hughes, Allegheny’s leading scorer, picked up her third goal of the day on an assist from Hoch. Just over a minute later Parsons would score, giving the Blue and Gold the 9-7 lead. Buffalo State would find the back of the net shortly thereafter, but the final three minutes of overtime went scoreless, with Allegheny getting the 9-8 win. Parsons’ goal, fittingly, wound up as the game winner.

Hughes led Allegheny scorers with three goals, as Towns and Parsons each picked up a pair of scores. Anna Gordon (Portland, Maine/ Deering), Ashley Rogerson (Fairport, N.Y.), Towns, and Hoch all had one assist. Deering’s eight ground balls were a game-high, while Hughes and Towns led the Gators in draw controls with three each.

The contest was fairly even statistically, as Buffalo State had the slight edge in shots (27-25) and turned the ball over fewer times (20-25), but trailed visiting Allegheny in ground balls (27-19), draw controls (11-10), and saves (12-9).

The Blue and Gold return to action this Saturday, April 8, as they will head to Springfield, Ohio for a North Coast Athletic Conference game against the Wittenberg Tigers.

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