Pride Holds Owls at Bay, 10-9

WESTFIELD, Mass.  –  Jade O'Connor scored five goals, including the game winner for Springfield College in a hard-fought 10-9 win in a non-conference women's lacrosse game at Alumni Field on Wednesday night.

Springfield improves to 5-3 with the win, while Westfield dips to 3-5 after four straight losses to high quality opponents, including two nationally-ranked teams.

Springfield led 8-6 entering the fourth quarter.

Westfield's Kelly Gearin fed Nicole Rinkus from behind the net with 8:01 left in the game with Rinkus burying the quick-stick goal to tie the game at 8-8.

Springfield gained the lead when O'Connor scored on a breakaway on a pass from Taylor Pichel, after loose ball on the Springfield clear caused the Owls' defense to lose its shape, with Pichel finding O'Connor on the right side 20 yards out, with O'Connor sprinting to goal past the last Owl defender.

Westfield answered right away, as the Owls won the draw and hustled the ball into the offensive end, where Victoria Paras passed to Harvey behind the net.  Harvey rolled the crease on the right side to tie game at 9-9 with 4:51 left. 

O'Connor scored on free position goal after a shooting space violation was called on the Owls with 2:44 to play, with O'Connor firing a shot just off the left hip of Owls goalkeeper Kara Banagan for what would eventually prove to be the game-winner.

Westfield won the ensuing draw and got the ball into the offensive end.   The Owls' Victoria Paras was fouled with just eight seconds left on the shot clock, but her shot missed wide right.  Westfield's Harvey recovered the miss, but the Owls were unable to get another shot before the shot clock expired, and the Pride were able to run out the clock to preserve the win.

Banagan finished with nine saves for Westfield State.  The Owls were led by three goals and an assist from Emma Cretella, while Harvey, Rinkus and Natalie DeMaio each added two goals.

Haley Moody finished with nine saves for Springfield.  The Pride got two goals from Holly Rivers and a goal and an assist from Pichel.

The game was a back and forth affair throughout.  Springfield netted the first two goals of the game, but the Owls answered with tallies from Harvey and Emma Cretella to level the game at 2-2 at the end of the first quarter.  The Pride led 6-4 at the half and stretched the led to 7-4 when Taylor Pichel scored the first goal of the third quarter on a feed from Arielle Johnson, but that was as big as the Springfield lead would get.

Shots were nearly even with Westfield holding a 26-25 advantage.  Springfield had a 16-7 edge in draw controls, which the Owls leveled out by turning the ball over seven less times than the Pride, 17-24.

Westfield State will begin MASCAC conference play on Saturday evening with a 7 p.m. game against Bridgewater State at Alumni Field.

Springfield will next travel to Mount Holyoke for a noon start in NEWMAC play.