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Princeton University Athletics
Dartmouth Scores in Overtime, Defeats Princeton 7-6 in NCAA Women's Lacrosse Quarterfinal
May 20, 2006 | Women's Lacrosse
HANOVER, N.H. - All season long, the Princeton women's lacrosse team has been a second-half team. On Saturday at Dartmouth in the NCAA quarterfinals, the Tigers nearly completed the ultimate second-half comeback, only to have Dartmouth's Casey Hazel and Devon Wills end the dream in overtime.
Hazel's goal off the draw control 14 seconds into the second three-minute overtime period put Dartmouth ahead, and Wills saved Alison Murray's shot on the other end with 30 seconds left, as the Big Green advanced to the national semifinals with a 7-6 victory in yet another overtime classic between the two Ivy rivals.
Hazel's goal was Dartmouth's first in a 36-minute span. Princeton (12-6) held the Big Green (13-5) scoreless throughout the entire second half and first overtime period, coming back from a 6-3 halftime deficit to tie the score at 6-6 with 2:40 left in regulation on a Holly McGarvie free-position goal.
The Tigers then had a chance to win the game in regulation after controlling the final draw, but McGarvie's shot with under 10 seconds left was wide left and the game went to overtime.
"They were beating us coming around the crease in the first half, and on the other end we just weren't being aggressive enough," said Princeton head coach Chris Sailer. "We made some adjustments at halftime and were able to make a comeback."
There was only one scoring opportunity in the first three minutes of overtime, but Colleen O'Boyle saved Whitney Douthett's shot with 1:05 left and the teams switched ends still tied at six.
Dartmouth would then score the game winner directly off the draw control. Kristen Zimmer found Kristen Barry, who fed to Hazel in front for a point-blank score past O'Boyle.
"After we won the draw I saw two defenders go to Kristen," said Hazel, who had two goals on the day. "She found me and I was able to put it in. I'm not sure I can even remember now how it happened."
"It was really a good opportunity for them right in front and she had a good shot," said O'Boyle, who had another strong game with eight saves for Princeton.
Princeton would get the ball back with 1:18 left in the game after Caitlin Reimers stripped Annie Leibovitz. Murray, who had a team-high three goals, then circled the right side of the crease and shot high, but Wills was there for one of her seven saves and Dartmouth ran out the clock.
The Tigers, who lost to Dartmouth for the first time in five NCAA tournament meetings with the Big Green, looked like they might be headed home in regulation after five straight Big Green goals, the final one coming from Barry with 3:19 left in the first half, made it 6-2 Dartmouth.
But Katie Lewis-Lamonica's quick-stick goal off a feed from Katie Cox 21 seconds later made it 6-3, and Princeton then turned up the defense in the second half. Eventually, the offense caught up.
Mary Minshall, who entered the game as a substitute at halftime, made it 6-4 with 17 minutes left off a nice pass from Reimers in transition. Murray's free-position goal two minutes later made it 6-5, setting up McGarvie's game-tying score later in the half.
Princeton held Dartmouth to just five second-half shots after being outshot 13-7 in the first 30 minutes.
Dartmouth won its third straight game against the Tigers. Jen Pittman had all three of her goals in the first half for the Big Green, which advances to the final four for the second consecutive season.