ST. DAVID'S (Pa.) -- The Delaware Valley University field hockey team led for a majority of the game, but surrendered two late regulation goals to host Eastern University, and allowed another in the early minutes of overtime in a 3-2 setback in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom finale.
The Aggies finished the season 5-12 overall and 1-6 in MAC Freedom games while the Eagles improved to 6-11 and 3-4.
DelVal got two goals in a span of five minutes, 10 seconds in the second quarter from its leading goal scorer
Samantha Collyer to take an early two-goal lead. About half way into the second stanza, Collyer lifted the ball over top the keeper for her first of the game and nearly five minutes later she lobbed another one over a sprawled out keeper for her second of the day and ninth of the season. The Aggies maintained the two-goal advantage into the halftime break.
Each team had seven shots through the first 30 minutes, but DelVal put five of its attempts on cage compared to two for the home team. Eastern did hold an 8-3 edge in corner opportunities.
In the second half, the Eagles out shot the Aggies, 13-3, with seven shots on target. DelVal minimized the damage for most of the stanza until Eastern got on the board with less than 10 minutes to play in regulation. Joelle Wash pounced on a loose ball after a busted corner play and blasted one home to make it a 2-1 game. Two and a half minute later, the Eagles were awarded a penalty stroke and Ali Balmer deposited it up high to tie the game at 2-2 with 6:51 left in regulation.
The Aggies nearly found the game-winner as it had two corner chances and
TJ Smith got off two shot attempts, but the chances were nullified and the game went to overtime.
Eastern needed just 75 seconds in the 7-on-7 extra session for Ali Balmer to feed a pass across the goal mouth to Abigail Geisler who slammed home the game-winning goal for the 3-2 final.
Rosie Bishop and
Kita Konerth split time in cage for DelVal with Bishop stopping the two shots she faced and Konerth making four saves on seven shots.Collyer finished with four shots on goal, Smith had two, and
Jess Dixon added one.
For the Eagles, Wash ripped off 12 shots, three on target, and Balmer had five shots on goal. Keeper Caitlyn Quizon made five saves on seven shots as she went the distance between the pipes.