Field Hockey Downed by American International in Double Overtime, 2-1
Links: Box Score | Game Highlights
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Despite being heavily favored in offense statistics and possession time, the Merrimack College field hockey team fell to No. 9 American International in heartbreaker on Saturday night, losing to the Yellow Jackets 2-1 in double overtime.
The Basics
Score (2OT): #9 American Int'l 2, Merrimack 1
Records: Merrimack (3-6, 3-3 NE-10) | #9 American Int'l (10-3, 6-1 NE-10)
Location: Martone-Mejail Field |North Andover, Mass.
How It Happened
- 10' – Merrimack's lone goal of the game would come early in the first half, feeding off some early energy and pressure from the Warriors. Sophomore Mary McNeil (Canton, Mass.) would net her fifth of the season and third in the last two games to give the Warriors the first lead of the game. Merrimack would go on to outshoot the Yellow Jackets 9-3 in the first half.
- 40' – As the Warriors' offensive pressure from the first carried over to the second, the Warriors would get a prime chance for an insurance goal after earning a penalty shot just five minutes into the second half. Sophomore Samantha Bartush (Norwalk, Conn.) would take the shot for Merrimack and fire a rocket at the lower left, but the ball would go just wide of the post to hold the score at 1-0.
- 42' – Less than two minutes after the Warriors nearly took a two-goal lead, the Yellow Jackets would tie the game up at 1-1 with 28 minutes remaining in regulation. After some quality passing off of a penalty corner, the ball would find its way into the crease and just barely be nudged in by a Yellow Jacket attacker to tie the game in the second.
- 90' – As the game remained tied into overtime, the pace of play would pick up with the 7 v. 7 in the extra frames. Early in the second overtime, senior captain Sarah Sparks (Falmouth, Maine) would find herself one-on-one with a Yellow Jacket attacker. After junior goalkeeper Kayla Raneri (Reading, Mass.) came far out of the net to make a play on the ball, Sparks would wisely back her up, cover the net and make a diving defensive save to keep the Warriors alive.
- 91'- Soon after Sparks' effort, American Internatonal would capitalize on another penalty corner opportunity, again forcing the ball through on a scrum right in front of the net to improve to 10-3 on the year and 6-1 in NE-10 play.
Inside The Numbers
- The Warriors were the heavily favored team offensively in the game, outshooting the Yellow Jackets by a margin of 26-11. They also had the best opportunity to win in the opening overtime period, outshoot AIC 9-0 in the frame.
- McNeil now five goals and four assists on the year for 14 points. That total ranks second on the team, while senior Hannah Magerman (Franklin, Mass.) registered her second assist of the season on McNeil's goal.
- Shots: MC – 20 // AIC - 5
- SOG: MC – 11 // AIC - 3
Up Next
The Warriors return to action for an NE-10 contest at Bentley at 6:00 p.m.
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