GLENSIDE, Pa. – The Arcadia University field hockey team held a 3-1 second half lead but could not hang on as visiting Lebanon Valley College rallied to tie the match in the final minute of regulation before going on to win in a shootout. It was the first MAC Commonwealth match of the season for both teams.
The Knights (4-4) were up 3-1 after senior
Tess Brzezynski scored her fifth goal of the season 1:18 into the second half, and nearly put Arcadia up 4-1 after ringing a shot off the right post.
The Dutchmen (4-5) pulled back within one after Lyndee Sheaffer put the ball in the cage from the left of the circle with just under five minute remaining in the second half. That set the stage for Kelsey Heck to tie the game off a corner with 36 second remaining in regulation, sending the game to overtime.
The Knights had several quality scoring chances in the extra periods, but were unable to put the game away. Senior
Taylor Dalisera came up short on a penalty stroke in the first overtime period, and had what appeared to be the game-winning goal taken off the board off a corner after it was ruled the ball never came out of the circle.
Arcadia led the shootout 2-1 following goals from junior
Allie Hines and senior
Lauren Ransegnola in the first two rounds, but Brzezynski and Dalisera were unable to score in the third and fourth rounds after Sheaffer scored for LVC to tie things up at 2-2.
Heck then worded her way around Arcadia senior
Mia De Plato to put the Dutchmen up 3-2 in the fifth and final round of the shootout, and Kendra Moll made it stand up as she knocked the ball away from senior
Debbie Wolfe to end the game.
The Knights jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on senior
Rachel Longenecker's tally less than two minutes into the contest, and went up by two after Hines scored off a rebound at 20:07. Kristen Garman got LVC on the board with 9:20 left in the first half, cutting its deficit to 2-1 at the break.
Arcadia will be back in action Monday night, taking on William Paterson University at 7 p.m. at Easton Field.
