WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Madeline Edinger (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) scored on a free position with under 30 seconds to play to lift the No. 2/3 West Chester University women's lacrosse team (8-0, 4-0) to a thrilling 14-13 victory over No. 14/18 Kutztown (6-4, 3-2) on a cold and windy afternoon on Vonnie Gros Field on Wednesday.
West Chester did not take its first lead of the game until midway through the second quarter and never led or trailed by more than two goals, as the Golden Rams and Golden Bears delivered everything fans could hope for in a showdown between two top-20 teams.
West Chester outscored Kutztown 5-3 in the second to erase a first-quarter deficit and 4-3 in the fourth to hold off the upset-minded Golden Bears and complete the eight-game homestand a perfect 8-0 on the season.
Edinger's lone goal of the game came at the perfect time for West Chester, as it broke a 13-13 tie and helped the team avoid overtime or, worse yet, a late-game loss at the hands of Kutztown.
Keri Barnett (Glenolden, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) and
Sydney Wasdick (Pottsgrove, Pa./Pottsgrove) tied for the team lead in goals with five each, while Barnett added two assists for a team-best seven points. Barnett also secured four draw controls, which was second best on the squad, trailing only Edinger, who finished the game with five.
Kutztown jumped out to an early 4-2 lead behind two goals each from Laila ElBouazzoui and Sam Graf before the Golden Ram defense stiffened and held its guests to just one goal over the final four-and-a-half minutes, which along with
Sydney Wasdick's (Pottsgrove, Pa./Pottsgrove) second goal of the quarter and a
Kendall Fortune (Jarrettsville, Md./North Harford) goal to make the score 5-3 heading into the second.
West Chester scored three unanswered goals in the second quarter, including Wasdick's third of the game along with tallies from Barnett and
Lila McMahon Skates (West Linn, Ore./West Linn), which gave the Golden Rams their first lead of the day at 6-5 with 8:19 to play in the first half. ElBouazzoui tied the game at 6-6 moments later, and the two sides traded goals throughout the remainder of the first half, including a Barnett goal with 2:13 in the half and a Sophie Englehardt tally with 10 seconds to play, which sent the game to the half tied at 8-8.
Graf gave Kutztown an early lead with a goal just 52 seconds into the second half before Barnett tied the game less than a minute later with a shot from distance. Barnett scored her second goal of the half on a rebound, giving West Chester a 10-9 lead. It appeared as if this lead might hold up for the quarter before another late-quarter tally from Kutztown tied the game at 10-10 heading into the fourth.
Wasdick scored the first two goals of the fourth before the Golden Rams found themselves down two players with under 10 minutes to play after a pair of quick yellow cards. West Chester got one stop defensively and had the chance to kill off the cards with possession but opted to look for a woman-down goal, which would have given the Golden Rams a commanding three-goal lead and ample momentum late in the game. Kutztown made a big defensive stop on this attempt and turned it into two quick goals in just under 45 seconds, tying the game at 12-12 with 8:43 to play.
Barnett countered with her fifth goal of the day and 45
th of the season with 6:05 to play, giving the Golden Rams a slim 13-12 lead. However, ElBouazzaoui notched her fourth goal of the day with 2:01 to play, tying the game at 13-13. Edinger played the hero for West Chester as she earned a free-position with under 30 seconds to play and made the most of the late chance, scoring on a red-hot Kutztown goalie to lift the second-ranked Golden Rams to a 14-13 victory.
West Chester ended the game with a 43-31 lead in shots, including a 31-23 advantage in shots on goal. The team also finished the afternoon with a 17-20 lead in turnovers and a 30-24 lead in ground balls. West Chester was 21-for-22 on its clear attempts, going 17-for-17 in the final three quarters, while Kutztown was 19-for-24, including a pair of failed clears in the third quarter.
Kendall DiCamillo (Garnet Valley, Pa./Garnet Valley) scooped a team-best seven ground balls, while four Golden Rams tied for the team lead in caused turnovers with two each.
Morgan Koons (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) was sharp in goal, making 10 saves for her third win of the year, while Emma Taylor suffered her first loss of the season for Kutztown despite making 14 saves in relief of Marisa Bragg, who started and played the first 20 minutes.
Kutztown ended the game with a 16-15 lead in draw controls, led by seven from ElBouazzoui, along with four from Graf. The Golden Bears were also 5-for-8 on free position shots, while West Chester was just 2-of-10. ElBouazzoui and Graf tied for the team lead in scoring with six points each, scoring four and three goals along with two and three assists, respectively.
Up Next
West Chester will take to the road for the first time this season on Saturday, visiting Shepherd for a PSAC East tilt beginning at 1 p.m.
