ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– On a big weekend for the program, Eastern University Field Hockey earned an exciting 2-1 overtime win over the visiting Hood College Blazers to secure their first MAC Commonwealth win.
Lily White finished an outstanding game with the game-winner in the fourth minute of extra time.
With overtime Field Hockey played with only six outfield players, Head Coach Azzarano put White, a defensive stalwart, into more of an attacking role and instructed her to get the decisive goal. After Hood goalie Richana White stopped a pair of shots from
Hailey Ferry, she did as she was told.
Harper Sellers picked up the rebound on the second shot and played it across the face of the goal. Ferry, still in the scoring area, redirected the cross and White swept it home for her second tally of the year.
The Eagles had to do some work in the overtime before that point. The young Blazers earned a penalty corner in the first minute. Sellers sold out to redirect the shot from the left side of the circle. The Eagles had a 26-6 edge in shots, and White and
Jenna Lapp did great work to keep balls out of the Eastern defensive circle for much of the game.
The Eagles (3-9, 1-2) had a 9-to-0 edge in first-quarter penalty corners and 7-to-0 edge in shots, but they could not find a goal through the opening half. Hood (4-8, 0-4) had a sequence of four penalty corners. Eastern defenders blocked all three Hood shots before they reached the Eastern goal.
The Eagles found their first goal in the 36th minute.
Sydney Davis and Ferry each had looks from in close turned away by Brown. Davis rolled the ball back to Ferry who put in her team-best fourth goal. That lead stood and looked secure until the Blazers found a transition opportunity midway through the fourth quarter. Tanae Johnson converted to level the match.
The Eagles earned four corners in the final two minutes, but Brown made a two of her 15 saves in the stretch and a late shot from
Maisie Dorwart was blocked by a defender to force overtime.
The 2010 Field Hockey Team will be inducted into Eastern's Hall of Honor tomorrow afternoon at 1 pm. Many of the players from that team were on hand for the dramatic win. Leslie Messick DeMasters was inducted into the Hall of Honor as part of the class of 2020 on Friday evening.
The Eagles host Albright College on Wednesday.
