ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– The first hour was not enough. Abigail Geisler knocked in a rebound of shot by Ali Balmer in the 69th minute to lift Eastern University Field Hockey to a 2-1 overtime win over the visiting Wesley College Wolverines (3-2).

How It Happened:
Though the Eagles had a commanding 18-6 edge in shots and a dominant 19-4 advantage in penalty corners, the visiting Wolverines used solid defense and goalkeeping to hold the Eagles to just a single goal in regulation. Joelle Wash put away her third goal of the year on a hard shot from a tight angle in the third period. Harper Sellers gave the service on a strong run up the right side.

Seconds later, it looked like the Eagles doubled the lead. Balmer dribbled through a collection of Wesley defenders on the right side and ripped a hard pass across the face of the goal. Lindsey Estep was in position to jam the ball in, but the official ruled that the ball hit her leg before she released the shot.

Wesley equalized late in the third after a pair of penalty corners. Madison Cook drove in her eighth of the year to tie the game.

The Wolverines had their best chances of the match in the fourth quarter Kylie Troyer made one of her two saves in the final period of regulation, and Moriah Greene helped her out with a defensive save on the rebound. Lily White, Jenna Lapp, and Sellers each made big plays in recovery against the Wesley counter-attack.

The game opened up in overtime. It looked like Geisler might end it in the 63rd minute when Balmer her fed her on the doorstep. Wesely goalie Lauren Berry charged off her line and closed down the chance with a good reaction save. The Eastern goal came on the third penalty corner of overtime. Wash received the insert and drew the attention of the defense to the top of the circle. She fed the ball to her left. Balmer lifted a high shot toward the cage. Berry knocked it down, but Geisler was on location to push the rebound ininside the near post. It is Geisler's fifth goal of the year. 

Berry finished with seven saves and Wesley defenders added three defensive saves.

Coach Azzarano Says: 
"What a great game. The team is excited and proud of the hard work and perseverance it took to earn this win.  We felt good about our play and ability to control possession, but Wesley is a strong team that doesn't relent.  Both teams had big saves in the first half to keep the score at zero. We knew the game was going to be a battle from start to finish."

"A lot of the girls played very well today.  Ali Balmer deserves an extra shout out as her ball handling was outstanding.  She is such a strong leader in her actions and high-level hockey.  It is very fitting she was involved in the game winning play."

"Coming in to the game we wanted to earn more opportunities to score and the team did exactly that. We earned 19 corners.  Moving forward, we will work to improve on the number of quality shots and focus our attention on finishing."

Up Next:
The Eagles will host Alvernia on Saturday. The game starts at 11, but there will be on on-campus tailgate for the three home games that day with music and games starting at 10 am.