Green Terror builds 11-6 lead before needing double overtime to down Haverford

WESTMINSTER, Md. – Paige Messersmith (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) ripped a shot from short range 1:12 into the second overtime to give McDaniel a 13-12 victory over Haverford in Centennial Conference (CC) women's lacrosse action on Saturday.

Needing a win to stay in the thick of the playoff hunt, the Green Terror (9-5, 3-4 CC) built an 11-6 lead with 12:12 remaining in regulation before the Fords (11-3, 4-3 CC) reeled off the final five goals of regulation to force overtime. Josie Ferri capped the final burst with her team-leading fourth goal of the game.

Brittany Baer (Manchester, Md./Westminster) tallied her sixth of the game 1 minute, 33 seconds into the second half of the first 6-minute overtime period before Kayleigh Harrick-Reynolds countered 34 seconds later with a free-position goal of her own.

Messersmith then converted from the right side of the cage to give McDaniel its ninth straight win over Haverford.

Messersmith found Sarah Mintz (Medfield, Mass./Medfield) just 1:07 into the game to stake the hosts to a 1-0 lead before Nora Proops and Jen Schmidt gave the Fords a 2-1 advantage four and a half minutes later.

A Brittany Lines (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) solo run and two Baer markers – the second of which came off the first of four Mintz assists – accounted for a three-goal flurry over a 1-minute, 40-second span.

Perrin Downing pulled Haverford within 4-3 with 10:50 to play in the opening half but Baer and Messersmith pushed the lead to 6-3.

A Ferri free-position goal made it 6-4 with 5:15 to play in the first half but Baer and Alison Rose (Jessup, Md./Hammond) made it an 8-4 game at halftime.

The teams exchanged goals over the first 17:48 of the second half, culminating with a Kelly Scheler (Forest Hill, Md./C. Milton Wright) free-position shot for the 11-6 lead.

Herrick-Reynolds started the comeback with 3:57 to play before Ferri scored unassisted 23 seconds later to make it an 11-8 game.

A Jen Schmidt tally 1:12 later cut the deficit to two before Grace Stockbower pulled the visitors within 11-10 with 1:57 on the clock. Ferri knotted the game just 37 seconds later.

Baer added six draw controls, four ground balls and five caused turnovers.

McDaniel returns to action at Dickinson on Wednesday. Game time is 4:30 p.m.

Score by Period                                    1            2            OT            2OT            -            F
Haverford (11-3, 4-3 CC)                        4            7            1            0            -            12
McDaniel (9-5, 3-4 CC)                                    8            3            1            1            -            13

Goals
Haverford: Josie Ferri 4, Kayleigh Herrick-Reynolds 2, Jen Schmidt 2, Alexa Pesce, Nora Proops, Perrin Downing, Grace Stockbower.
McDaniel: Brittany Baer 6, Paige Messersmith 2, Sarah Mintz, Kelly Scheler, Brittany Lines, Chelsea Watkins, Alison Rose.

Assists
Haverford: Pesce 2.
McDaniel: Mintz 4, Messersmith, Scheler.

Shots: H 26, M 37. Ground Balls: H 19, M 25. Goalies: H (Leah Hammerschlag – 8 saves, 8 GA, 30:00; Siobhan Neitzel – 10 saves, 5 GA, 37:12), M (Leanne Hollinger – 6 saves, 12 GA). Caused Turnovers: H 10, M 9. Turnovers: H 15, M 14. Draw Controls: H 10, M 19. Free Position: H 4 of 8, M 2 of 12.

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