Devils drop NCAA overtime thriller
Box Score
FREDONIA, N.Y. – The Fredonia State women’s lacrosse team played host to St. John Fisher in the Devils’ first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance on Wednesday. Fisher prevailed in a 9-8 overtime thriller.
Fisher’s Emily Bryerton (Liverpool/Cicero-North Syracuse) scored the game-winning goal 1:03 into the six-minute overtime to cement the Cardinas' victory. Fisher goaltender Caroline Trpcevski (Manlius/Fayetteville-Manlius) held off a free-position attempt and flurry in the closing seconds of the game to preserve the win.
Fisher (15-4) moves on to face the No. 1-ranked team in the nation, Salisbury, on Saturday. For Fisher, this is the Cardinals' third appearance in the NCAAs, the others coming in 2007 and 2009.
Taylor Hughes (Watertown/Watertown) led Fisher with four goals and Melissa Leonhard (Penfield/Penfield) had three. The Devils were paced by Amy Simon (Amherst/Amherst) with four scores and Katie Kleine (Cazenovia/Cazenovia) with three.
Kleine opened the scoring for Fredonia State 5:03 into the game with an unassisted score. The goal came soon after the Devils successfully killed a penalty.
Just 43 seconds later, the Devils made it 2-0 on another unassisted score as Simon converted a turnover near midfield and took it the distance for an unassisted score.
The Devils upped the lead to 3-0 when Kleine scored unassisted at 11:17 into the game.
Fredonia State controlled the action most of the first half, holding Fisher to just two shots through the first 18 minutes.
Fisher finally found its way onto the scoreboard at the 20:51 mark. Leonhard scored unassisted following a penalty on Fredonia State.
The Devils answered 15 seconds later when Simon scored her second goal to make it 4-1.
Hughes cut the lead to 4-2 for Fisher with four minutes left in the first. She snared a pass from Erin Ward (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) and one-timed it into the net. Fisher’s Shannon McDermot (Syracuse/Bishop Luddon) made it 4-3 in the final minute of the half as Hughes assisted.
At the half, Trpcevski had four saves for the Cardnials and Casey Chiesa (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) had one for Fredonia State.
Fisher continued where it left off to start the second half. With just under three minutes gone by, Hughes connected on a free-position score to give the game its first tie at 4-all.
The Devils rallied as Morgan McNamara (Oswego/Oswego) and Kleine scored back-to-back goals to put the Devils back up by two, 6-4. Kleine’s score was on a free-position play.
The Devils looked to up the lead to three when Simon apparently connected for the team’s seventh goal. However, she was whistled for a dangerous follow-through and the goal waved off.
Fisher used the man-advantage as Hughes connected to put Fisher back within one, 6-5, with 16:00 remaining.
Four minutes later Simon exacted some revenge, connecting on the Devils’ seventh goal as Rachael Reinis (Webster/Webster Schroeder) assisted to make it 7-5, Fredonia State.
With 11:52 remaining, the Cardinals caught a break and a momentum shift. Kleine was whistled for her second yellow card and was forced to sit out the rest of the game. Fisher took advantage of the man up situation and Hughes converted on a free-position opportunity with 10:10 to go. Leonhard followed with her third score of the game to tie it at 7-all.
Fredonia State’s Simon and Fisher’s Hughes traded goals over the next four minutes to make it 8-all and send the game into overtime.
The Devils managed two shots in the closing seconds of regulation – including a free-poisition attempt by Karli Brinthaupt (Horseheads/Horseheads), but Trpcevski held tight in goal for the Cardinals, thus setting up Bryerton’s heroics.
The Devils last gasp came with a free-position attempt with 14 seconds left, but they could not convert.
Chiesa finished with five saves for the Devils. Trpcevski had eight. Fisher had a 21-20 advantage in shots, but the Devils had more shots on goal, 15-11. The Devils also held the edge in turnovers, 13 to 19.
Hughes’ four goals also set a new school single-season standard. She now has 70 goals this year, breaking the mark of Leohhard (68) set last year.
The Devils finish their season at 14-5. Simon’s four goals upped her school single-season mark to 73. As a team, the Devils set a school record for wins.
