Box Score
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Sophomore forward Brittany Cislak scored twice, including the game-winner in double overtime to lead West Chester to a 4-3 victory over visiting Ursinus in the 28th annual Eleanor Snell Cup field hockey contest at newly dedicated Vonnie Gros Field Sunday afternoon.
For the third year in a row, West Chester and Ursinus went into overtime to determine a winner with the Golden Rams coming away with its first victory over the Division III power Bears since 2005. West Chester leads the overall series 23-21-9 and the Snell Cup series 14-11-3.
Cislak’s game-winning goal with six minutes left in the second OT capped a special day at West Chester University as the school dedicated its turf field to legendary mentor and former head coach Vonnie Gros before the game.
Freshman Alyssa Gallen started the final rush by carrying the ball down to the baseline just to the right of the Bears’ cage on the far side. Ursinus goalkeeper Erica Scott came off the post, and Gallen pushed the ball out in front to a waiting Cislak, who buried her second goal of the game and sixth of the season, into the back of the cage.
The Golden Rams took a 3-2 advantage into the second half. But, Ursinus quickly knotted things three minutes into the session when Alyssa Thren beat WCU goalkeeper Joelle Zarefoss off an assist from Jessica Zatwarnicki.
That’s the way things would stand until the 94th minute of the contest. Though, both sides had their opportunities to win the game in both regulation and overtime. Ursinus held a 26-12 advantage in penalty corners and outshot the Golden Rams, 22-10, after 70 minutes of play.
However, it was West Chester that produced the best opportunity to end things early in the first overtime when Patti Loughlin’s shot from the top of the circle got caught up in Scott’s pads, which resulted in a penalty stroke for the Rams.
Scott made a diving save to her left of the stroke by Desiree Walker to keep the game going.
West Chester controlled much of the action in that first OT, outshooting Ursinus, 9-2.
The Bears, ranked sixth in Division III, scored first one minute into the game when Jennie Moore dribbled through four WCU players inside the circle and put one past Zarefoss.
Seven minutes later, Walker tallied off a penalty corner to tie things, and Cislak then scored her first of the game three minutes after that to put West Chester on top 2-1.
Zatwarnicki stuffed in a loose ball while standing on the far post at the 14:48 mark to tie things up again and end a flurry that saw the two teams scored a combined four goals in the opening 15 minutes of the game.
Five minutes before halftime, Beth Wong blasted a shot past Scott off a nice feed from Marisa Holzman to give the hosts a one-goal lead heading into the break.
Zarefoss was credited with 14 saves on the day as was Scott for Ursinus.
Sutherland recorded two assists for Ursinus. West Chester’s Donna Doubet registered her fourth defensive save of the year to help the Golden Rams snap a four-game slide.
NOTES:
West Chester’s win in the Snell Cup gives them a 14-11-3 lead in the inter-divisional rivalry … West Chester leads the overall series 23-21-9 … West Chester put an end to its four-game losing streak … Sunday marked the 12th overtime contest between the two clubs … it also marked the third straight OT game and fourth in the last five years … West Chester holds a 6-4-2 record in overtime tilts against Ursinus … it was West Chester’s first OT win over Ursinus since 2000 … it was the first time that the Golden Rams defeated the Bears at home since 2001 … Kathy Krannebitter moved to 13-9-3 overall against Ursinus in her coaching career.
