ST. DAVIDS, Pa.--Eastern field hockey stunned No. 8 Rowan University Thursday 5-4 in overtime when forward Abby Wagner netted the game-winner in the 72nd minute.

"[The play] started down in the defensive area and Kelby [Bolton] took the ball up and kept going through the defenders," Wagner said. "I just kept thinking that I need to get up and be there for her. I knew that I had to keep my stick on the ground because I knew she was going to pass it in."

Bolton, who recorded the assist, dribbled through the defense and up the right side of the field. "I saw the wing open and I went that way," Bolton said. "I saw one girl in between me and the goal, and then thankfully I saw Abby and we connected."

Wagner's game-winner was her second goal of the game and her fifth of the season. She also assisted a goal in the second half.

Coach Camrin Azzarano said that Wagner has been vital for the Eagles' offense. "She has a strength and ability to just force the ball into the goal cage," Azzarano said. "I think a lot of girls overthink shooting, but she doesn't."

Azzarano encouraged her team leading up to the game to have an unwavering confidence, specifically in each other. One of the ways that confidence appeared was how the Eagles attacked the ball. "We showed confidence by being more aggressive," she said. "We passed the ball better and defensively, [Christin Suetterlein] showed confidence in goal by being more stable."

Suetterlein played the entire game and recorded six saves.

The Eagles held a 4-3 lead with six minutes remaining until a goal by Rowan's Brittany Phillips knotted the score, destining the game for overtime.

The setback frustrated the Eagles, but didn't stop them.

"It was hard," Bolton said. "It was kind of a slap in the face, at first. But then, you could tell during the last six minutes that we really wanted this. You could feel it on the field and we went out into overtime feeling confident. We knew how much this game meant. We were so into this game that our intensity took us to another level."

Brittany Moyer, who scored two goals, echoed Bolton's feelings. "I was frustrated at first because I thought we could have held them off [in regulation]," she said. "But then going into [overtime] I thought, we've got this."

Eastern shot the ball three times in overtime and nearly won the game on the second shot. Yvonne Herbster went on a breakaway and drew the goalie out of the cage. Herbster crossed to her right with the goalie sliding to the ground. However, Herbster's chance went wide. Fortunately for the Eagles, Wagner's game-winner came just forty-five seconds later.

Eastern did not allow Rowan to get any shots in overtime; however, Rowan did outshoot the Eagles 17-13 in the game.

Moyer and Wagner had two goals apiece. Yvonne Herbster scored the Eagles' other goal in the 57th minute to put the Eagles up 4-3. Herbster also recorded the assist on Moyer's first goal.

Eastern earned nine penalty corners to Rowan's eight. Interestingly, seven of Eastern's corners came in the first half and seven of Rowan's came in the second.

With the win, the Eagles improve to 4-4 and look to keep the confidence level high against Misericordia on Saturday.