Top-Ranked Le Moyne Edges No. 5 West Chester In OT, 10-9

WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Le Moyne College converted a free position opportunity just over one minute into overtime to lift the defending national champions and top-ranked Dolphins to a 10-9 victory over No. 5 West Chester at a frigid Vonnie Gros Field Thursday afternoon.
 
Le Moyne (2-0) attacker Bryanna Fazio bounced a shot past West Chester's goalkeeper 1:11 into the extra session to escape Vonnie Gros with the win. The OT heart-breaker ruined a fabulous comeback bid by West Chester (1-1), which tallied five of regulation's final seven goals in the last five minutes of the second half that sent the game into the overtime.
 
Nicole Delany netted the game-tying goal with 1:24 left in regulation. West Chester had two golden opportunities to earn possession of the ball in the final two minutes, but could not secure the elusive ground ball each time.
 
The contest teetered back and forth with the home side jumping out to a 4-1 lead 11 minutes into the game. Maggie Stella (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) potted a pair of goals that pushed West Chester's lead to 3-0, sparking a timeout from Le Moyne, and Tara Morrissey (Downingtown, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) scored an "up" goal to close the spurt following the Dolphins' first goal of the game.
 
Le Moyne answered that with a 5-0 run to end the half, then tacked on another at the beginning of the second to take a 7-4 advantage while quieting the Golden Rams' attack for almost 34 minutes.
 
Consecutive markers from Sami Barnett (Glenolden, Pa./Interboro), Devon Mela (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North) and Ryan McKinney (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) with 11:54 to play evened things up on the scoreboard at 7-apiece.
 
Le Moyne struck next to take an 8-7 lead. However, Barnett and Stella dented the twine consecutively to give the hosts the advantage with 2:53 left.
 
Le Moyne held a sizeable advantage in draw controls (14-7) while West Chester had trouble clearing the ball all afternoon, going just 15 of 22 in clear attempts.
 
West Chester goalkeeper Julianne Clemens (Springfield, Pa./Springfield-DELCO) made 14 saves in the contest. Barnett and Stella each finished with a hat trick. Mela, Morrissey and McKinney added the other tallies.
 
Monica Sanna and Sydney Hall each posted a hat trick for Le Moyne while Fazio netted two. Delany and Erin McMullen scored the other goals. Hannah George made seven saves to pick up the win in the cage.
 
West Chester travels to Catawba next Tuesday during its spring break trip. The Golden Rams return home a week from Saturday when they open PSAC play with Slippery Rock on March 16.