Rotondi Nets Game-Clincher in Overtime Thriller

Worcester State 3, Southern Maine 2  OT

Worcester, MA --- Worcester State senior Karla Rotondi (Tewksbury, MA) netted the game-winning goal on a pass from freshman Lindsey McGeary (Foxboro, MA) with 9:41 into overtime to help lift the Lancers to a 3-2 victory this evening over Southern Maine in Little East field hockey action at Coughlin Field.

The Blue and Gold, winners of five out of their last six, improve to 6-4 (3-1 LEC) while the Huskies slip to 4-7 and even out to 2-2 in the conference.

The extra session was back and forth as WSU the only shot of the period and neither team took advantage of a penalty corner. It was after a USM pass up the field following a Lancer possession that McGeary intercepted the cross and stick handled the ball to an open Rotondi for her team-leading fifth marker of the season. Three of Rotondi's five tallies have been game-winning scores and she had the decisive assist in Saturday's 2-1 overtime triumph over Framingham State.

Worcester State originally had the 2-0 lead after 50 minutes of game play, but the Huskies knotted the score with two goals 4½ minutes apart midway through the second half.

Sophomore Kailey Baubier (Auburn, ME) got the visitors going as she scored her fifth goal of the year on a pass from in front of the cage from classmate Rachael Trafton (Corinth, ME) at 52:52 and Baubier then helped Southern Maine tie the contest when she found freshman Ariel Kaplan (S. Berwick, ME).

Game play then continued at a stalemate until the overtime stanza as both squads were even in shots over the final 13 minutes of the half. At the 65:65 mark though, sophomore Lauren Daley (Dedham, MA) would notch a key defensive save as she now leads the LEC in the category to preserve the 2-2 game.

The Lancers held a 1-0 lead at the intermission as senior Amanda Maillet (Saugus, MA) recorded her second goal of the year at the 14:18 mark in the first as junior Samantha Janda (Sterling, MA) added her team leading fifth assist. Worcester State would go up by two digits four minutes into the second frame on a tally by senior Meghan Feehan (Lunenburg, MA) and third-year Sarah Cozzens (Lancaster, MA) tacked on the helper.

Southern Maine would hold advantages in shots (17-12) and corners (12-7) which included a 13-5 edge on shots and a 9-3 lead in penalty opportunities in the second period.

Senior Kat Masterjohn (Warren, MA) registered 10 saves for the Lancers while freshman Kayla Kennedy (Windham, ME) turned aside five shots for the visitors in the setback.

Both teams will host Little East opponents on Saturday. Worcester State and Bridgewater State will renew their rivalry in an 11 AM matchup while the Huskies entertain Westfield State in a 1 o'clock battle.