UTICA, NY - The Utica University field hockey team earned its first home win of the season in overtime fashion with a thrilling 2-1 win over the Oswego State Lakers.
The Pioneers outshot the Lakers 14-8 and 10-7 on goal over the course of the game.
Alanna Fragapane (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) notched her second goal of the year late in the second quarter while
Alyssa Pisano (Hopewell Junction, NY/Arlington) tallied her seventh via the OT game-winner.
Shannon Jedreicich (Deer Park, NY/Half Hollow Hills East) assisted on Pisano's goal to go with her three shots on the night.
Madison Ranalli (Cicero, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) added to her national lead with a pair of defensive saves as well.
In goal,
Desirae Baumann (Accord, NY/Rondout Valley) picked up her second win of the year and made four saves over her near 67 minutes of action.
The game featured a plethora of cards as well with Oswego three green's and three yellow's while Utica was issued a pair of green cards.
Despite a pair of Laker penalty corners in the first, neither side could settle in offensively as both teams failed to get a shot off over the first 15 minutes. The Pioneers picked up momentum in the second with three looks between the 20th and 21st minutes. Fragapane pushed the team through at the 26:05 mark with an unassisted goal inside of the crease for a 1-0 lead that stood entering halftime.
The Lakers applied pressure early in the new half with four corners over the first 5:30 of play but once again, could not find the back of the cage. However, just over one minute later, Bryleigh Beauchat received a pass from Kate McNally in perfect position to get the ball past Baumann for the equalizer.
Utica and Oswego went on to trade off a pair of shots in the fourth quarter but to no avail for either team. The difference in the contest would be made through a trio of cards over the final seven minutes of play. Critical penalties came with under two to play with a seven minute call on McNally and a five minute one on Kacie Simzer that bled into the extra frame.
There, the Pioneers had a wide open three-on-one led by
Mackenzie Mix (Camden, NY/Camden) three minutes into OT. However,
Alyssa Pisano's (Hopewell Junction, NY/Arlington) attempts off Mix's dishes failed to go in to continue extra time.
Pisano avenged her near misses three minutes later. Jedreicich found Pisano in the middle of the field for a shot roughly three yards out that she rifled into the back of the cage for the game-winner.
Utica (2-7, 0-1 Empire 8) will be off for the next 10 days before entering the thick of Empire 8 play on the road against St. John Fisher at 1 p.m. on October 7.
