READING, Pa. – For the second-straight game, the Albright Lions field hockey team was dealt a 2-1 heartbreaking loss, this time by Lebanon Valley in Double Overtime on Friday afternoon at Shirk Stadium in the MAC Commonwealth opener.
With the loss, the Lions fall to 3-7 on the season and 0-1 in MAC Commonwealth play. Meanwhile, the Dutchmen improve to 4-5 and 1-0 in conference play.
The Lions got the first good look of the game when junior
Jennifer Crumling poked the ball through the legs of Dutchmen goalkeeper Nikki Willi, but she was able to kick the ball out after it got behind her. Reigning MAC Commonwealth Co-Offensive Player of the Year Cecile Kat would open the scoring in the sixth minute after sneaking the ball past Lions junior goalkeeper
Brynne Schoppe. The lead did not last long as junior
Bailey Lehman answered back 32 seconds later with a goal to make it a 1-1 game. The Lions carried momentum following the goal with some solid chances. Albright held a 5-1 shot advantage after one period. The second quarter was a defensive struggle as both teams only tallied one shot each. Junior
Brooke Yerger registered the lone shot for the Lions as she got in front of Willi before she kicked it away.
In the second half, the Dutchmen began controlling play more in the second half and nearly took the lead with just under two minutes in the third quarter on a shot that went wide on a breakaway. Schoppe was then tested early in the fourth quarter as she made back-to-back saves in the 47
th minute before senior
Mia Moshang turned away a third shot for a defensive save.
Jennifer Crumling got in front of Willi in the 53
rd minute, but Willi would get her stick down to stop Crumling from the jamming the ball in the net. The Lions would create some more chances with no luck as the game was forced into overtime.
In the first overtime, the Dutchmen had the best first chance to score as Kat let a shot from a breakaway run wide in the 61
st minute. Senior
Kyra Scerbo then made a big defensive save in the 63
rd minute to keep the game going. The Dutchmen would get a pair of shots turned away by Schoppe following a penalty corner in the final minute which would force a second overtime. Moshang had a look in the beginning of the second overtime as she came in from the right side, but lifted her shot wide of the net. Schoppe would come up big again by stopping a point blank shot in the 75
th minute following a Dutchmen corner, and made another big stop on a 1 on 1 situation in the 77
th minute. The Dutchmen finally ended the game with 41 seconds left in overtime on a goal from Taylor Pentz.
The Dutchmen held a 21-13 shot advantage for the game, and a 14-9 advantage in shots on goal. The Lions were limited to one shot in the two overtime periods. Lebanon Valley also gained a slight 9-8 edge in penalty corners after holding a 5-1 advantage in the two overtimes. Schoppe suffered a tough loss despite a valiant nine save effort in net, while Willi earned the win with eight saves.
The Lions will return to action on Wednesday, October 2
nd as they will travel to face Scranton in non-conference action at 7 p.m.
