Field Hockey 10/15/2014 8:05:00 PM

Nichols stuns Field Hockey in overtime with second-half rally

Box Score BRISTOL, R.I. – Nichols College erased a three-goal deficit in the final ten minutes of regulation on the team's way to a 5-4 overtime win over the Roger Williams University Field Hockey team Wednesday evening.

Nichols mounted the comeback in dramatic fashion, notching the tying goal with less than a minute left in regulation before scoring the winning goal one minute into the extra period. The win for the Bison is their first Commonwealth Coast Conference victory of the season.

The Hawks grabbed the lead in the ninth minute of the game. Stephanie Yaeger (Gansevoort, N.Y.) sent a pass to Meghan Curran (West Milford, N.J.) to her right inside the scoring arc. Curran crossed a shot to the left corner for her tenth goal of the year.

RWU added another goal in the 20th minute. Alexandra Baxter (Groton, Mass.) brought the ball into the arc and faked a shot up the middle, instead passing to her left to Abby Treweek (Lakeville, Mass.). Treweek was able to get behind the defense and tap in the one-time pass to give the Hawks the 2-0 lead.

The Hawks added their third goal with just under two minutes left in the first half. Juliana Miccile (Upton, Mass.) brought the ball down the right side, with Curran streaking up the middle. Miccile made a great pass to Curran as she was crossing in front of the goal. Curran then backhanded the shot into the left side, giving RWU the 3-0 advantage heading into halftime.

Early into the second half, the Bison managed to make their way onto the scoreboard. In the 38th minute, Avery Orszulak (Springfield, Mass.) dropped a pass back to Jenn Townsend (Wethersfield, Conn.), who put her shot through a crowded arc and into the left corner to give Nichols its first goal of the game.

From there, the Nichols offense began to pick up but was unable to convert on a couple of good opportunities. Andrea Wilson (Bedford, N.H.) had a point-blank shot on net in the 45th minute but hooked her shot wide left. A few minutes later, Nichols had a goal called off via a foul in the arc.

Miccile gave Roger Williams a 4-1 lead in the 60th minute, bringing the ball down into the arc and put the shot to the left side. However, Nichols would not give up, as Orszulak scored her first goal of the game less than a minute later, putting in the ball off of a penalty corner by Townsend.

Orszulak came up in the 67th minute with a goal off of deflected save from a shot by Brianna Kilborn (North Brookfield, Mass.) to pull the Bison within one. Nichols got some extra help with two minutes left, as two Hawks picked up a green card and yellow card, taking both players off the field.

Andrea Wilson stepped up in the closing seconds, knocking in a loose ball in the arc with 39 seconds left to send the game into overtime.

With momentum on the Bison's side, Orszulak came down the field for Nichols and found Nicole Simeone (Ashland, Mass.) for the game-winning score one minute into the extra period.

Melora Lavoie (Poland, Maine) had five saves for RWU in the stunning loss. Nichols' Emily Mercure (Milton, Vt.) earned the win, coming on in the second half and making five saves in relief of Katherine Cotton (Kennebunk, Maine), who allowed three goals with six saves.

Both teams will face off against Gordon College next, with the Hawks playing the Fighting Scots on Saturday, while Nichols plays them on Tuesday.

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Players Mentioned

#14 Alexandra Baxter: D; 5' 4"; Sophomore

#4 Meghan Curran: MF; 5' 4"; Sophomore

#2 Melora Lavoie: GK; 5' 7"; Sophomore

#6 Abby Treweek: F; 5' 4"; Sophomore

#11 Stephanie Yaeger: MF; 5' 8"; Sophomore

#17 Juliana Miccile: MF; 5' 2"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#14 Alexandra Baxter
: 5' 4"; Sophomore
: D

#4 Meghan Curran
: 5' 4"; Sophomore
: MF

#2 Melora Lavoie
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: GK

#6 Abby Treweek
: 5' 4"; Sophomore
: F

#11 Stephanie Yaeger
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: MF

#17 Juliana Miccile
: 5' 2"; Freshman
: MF