LYNCHBURG, Va. – Catherine Ellis (Charlotte, N.C.) posted nine
points and the Presbyterian College women's lacrosse team took the Liberty
Flames to overtime on Saturday, but the Flames scored with 1:01 left in the
extra frame to win, 22-21.
PC moves to 1-13 overall and 0-4 in National Lacrosse Conference
action. Liberty improves to 3-9 on the year and 2-2 in the NLC.
Liberty forced overtime with six seconds left in regulation and
scored the first goal of the overtime period. Ellis scored her seventh goal of
the game with 3:32 left to make the score 21-21, but a Sam Struss tally gave the
Flames enough to take the game.
Ellis scored seven goals and added two assists, becoming the
first Blue Hose to tally nine points in a game since Brittni Dulaney
accomplished the feat against Howard on May 1, 2010. Her overtime goal also
marked her 37th of the season, the most ever for a Blue Hose in a single season. Jenna
Handshoe held the previous record, with 36 in 2010.
Kelsey Rupsch (Libertyville, Ill.) set a new career-high
with five goals. Katie Prisco (West Babylon, N.Y.) added two assists and a
goal while Jaime Beamish (Memphis, Tenn.) collected six ground balls and
controlled four draws. Goalkeeper Samantha Arey (New Albany, Ohio) made seven saves.
PC held an edge in draw controls, 25 to 22, and turned the
ball over 20 times to Liberty's 19.
The Blue Hose sped out of the gate, scoring the first three
goals from Prisco, Ellis and Lauren Lefeber (Waxhaw, N.C.).
Liberty answered with six goals, broken up by a Rupsch tally
after the first three. Ellis scored her second with 11:59 to go in the half and
the Flames responded 50 seconds later to take a 7-5 lead.
PC then rattled off five straight goals, beginning with an
Ellis unassisted score. Megan Schaaf (Ellicott City, Md.) tied the game before
Lefeber netted one and Ellis potted a pair—both from Prisco assists—to take a
10-7 lead.
Liberty scored once before the break and PC led at the half,
10-8. Nina Dunay led the Flames on the day, notching four goals and two
assists. Kristin Crowley also found the net four times.
When the teams returned to the field, Liberty scored seven
of the game's next 10 goals to take a 15-13 lead with 22:03 left on the clock.
PC began the half with a Brianne Ward (Cincinnati, Ohio) score from an Ellis
assist, but a three-goal Liberty run tied the game at 11-11. Bonnie Corrigan
(Yorktown, Va.) and Rupsch each scored to keep the Blue Hose close.
Down by two, Rupsch completed her hat trick and Laura Meade
(Acworth, Ga.) slipped one past Liberty goalkeeper Kristen Masullo to even the
score at 15-15. The two sides each scored two goals, with PC's coming from
Rupsch and Jena Ready (Charlotte, N.C.) for another tie at 17-17.
Rupsch scored her fifth after a Liberty goal, but the Flames
responded to take the lead with 10:21 to go. The Blue Hose then used goals from
Ellis and Ward to go back ahead with 7:32 remaining, 20-19.
Neither side scored for the next 7:26, but a late goal from
Kristin Crowley tied the game and sent the contest into overtime.
PC returns to action on Friday with a home contest against Detroit.
The opening draw is slated for 4 p.m.
