Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 3/10/12
From Press Releases
It is hard to imagine a more opportune time to score your first career game-winning goal than the moment Courtney Tomchik picked on Saturday for No. 9 Penn. The sophomore scored her fourth goal of the game with 24 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Quakers a 14-13 win over Harvard in a wild game at Franklin Field.
After leading 2-1 4:41 into the game, Penn (3-10, 1-0) did not hold the lead again until Erin Brennan scored 1:14 into overtime to give the Quakers a 13-12 lead. Along the way, the Red and Blue had to erase a five-goal deficit, something not fully accomplished until Caroline Bunting scored with 1:06 left in regulation to tie the game at 12-12.
The Quakers trailed, 6-3, at halftime and made a brief comeback early in the second half to climb within one at 6-5 after goals from Tomchik and Maddie Poplawski (Springfield-Delco) 1:06 apart early in the half. The Crimson halted Penn’s run, though, with Micaela Cyr scoring one of her three goals in the game and Melanie Baskind then scoring three in a row to rebuild Harvard’s lead to 10-5, with 16:23 to play.
From that moment on, Penn outscored Harvard, 9-3, to win its first Ivy game of the season. Tomchik got the rally moving with a free position goal with 14:49 to play. Then, Caroline Bunting took over.
In overtime, Bunting won the opening draw control and the play worked down low to Brennan who circled from behind the cage to score the first goal of extra play 1:14 in. Jess Halpern tied the game once more with a goal down the right side, knotting things up with 1:20 left in overtime.
Poplawski won the draw, her final of a game-high six, and Penn looked for the last shot. Tomchik found the ball in her stick with less than 30 seconds to go and she stepped into a shot from the left hash which beat Weis and proved to be the game winner. Bunting won the resulting draw and Penn was able to run out the clock.
The Quakers had many standout performers in the game, led by Bunting who finished with four goals and two assists for a new career high of six points while adding five draw controls.
Tomchik’s game-winner was part of a four goal day with one caused turnover. Poplawski had two goals with her six draw controls and a caused turnover. Foussadier had her pair of caused turnovers and two ground balls as part of a solid day defensively with classmate Meg Markham who had two draw controls and a ground ball. Lydia Miller came up with two big draw controls in the second half to spur the comeback.
Not to be overlooked is the play of Erin Brennan. The senior scored three goals in the game, the first of which was her 100th career goal. She is just the seventh player in Penn history to record 100 career goals and she now sits on 102 career scores.
Emily Leitner finished the game with seven saves and three ground balls, coming up big down the stretch to allow Penn the chance to mount its comeback.
Florida 20, Temple 3
In the last of four straight road games, a slow start doomed Temple lacrosse while #5 Florida (6-2) showcased its dominance in a victory over the Owls (5-2). The Gators are coached by former Temple great Amanda O’Leary (Spring-Ford).
Florida started the game on a 5-0 run, and Temple’s offense just could not find enough openings to get anything going. Keelin Hood (Great Valley) scored the Owls’ first goal off an assist from Charlotte Swavola (Cheltenham) midway through the first half, but it would be Temple’s only goal until the final 12 minutes of the game.
By halftime the Gators held a 15-1 lead behind three goals apiece from Wiegand and Brittany Dashiell. Florida scored three more times to open the second half, and each team scored twice in the final 12 minutes.
Missy Schweitzer (Owen J. Roberts) put up an unassisted score for the Owls with 11:33 remaining, and Molly Seefried also scored for Temple just before the two-mintute mark. Lea Britton (Council Rock North) put up strong numbers for Temple with four ground balls and two caused turnovers. Goalkeeper Tess Bishop recorded five saves and three ground balls.
Colgate 14, Lehigh 9
Despite a strong start, the Lehigh women’s lacrosse team fell at defending Patriot League Regular Season Champion Colgate. Freshman Carli Sukonik (Harriton) was stellar, posting a career-high four goals and nine draw controls, but the Raiders scored the game’s final three goals to erase any thoughts of a comeback.
Sukonik’s nine draw controls were the most by any Lehigh player in the last six years and within three of the top five in NCAA history for draw controls in a single game. She also added four goals, two in each half, including one to pull Lehigh within 9-8 before Colgate surged for five of the final six goals.
Three others added multiple points, including seniors Lauren Murray (two goals) and Leigh Ann Torcivia (one goal, one assist), and freshman Scarlett Nawrocki (two assists).
Penn State 12, Delaware 6
Lauren Purvis (Hatboro-Horsham scored once for the Lions (5-2) while Blair King had three goals for the Hens (2-5).
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