Carroll's OT Goal Lifts Field Hockey Past UMass Lowell, 4-3

Friday, October 30

Lowell, Mass

3:30 PM

University of New Hampshire

(8-9, 4-3)

University of Massachusetts Lowell

(5-13, 0-7)

OT 2

New Hampshire

UMass Lowell

10/30/2015 7:01:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

LOWELL, Mass. – Meg Carroll (Mansfield, Mass.) scored at 11:14 of overtime to lift the University of New Hampshire field hockey team to Friday afternoon's 4-3 victory against UMass Lowell at Wicked Blue Field.

UNH, which has won three of its last four games, overcame a two-goal second-half deficit to improve to 8-9 overall and 4-3 in America East. UMass Lowell fell to 5-13, 0-7 with its 12^th consecutive loss.

New Hampshire recorded a 32-16 shot advantage, including 6-3 in the extra session. The Wildcats also had the 14-3 edge in penalty corners with a 6-0 margin in the first half.

Lindsey Nerbonne (Bow, N.H.) scored two quick goals to increase her team-leading total to 12. Meg Flatley (Townsend, Mass.) scored UNH's other goal and Katie Audino (Severn, Md.), the reigning America East Rookie of the Week, tallied an assist. Melissa Rize (Severn, Md.) made two of her five saves in the extra session.

UML goalie Kelsey Federico was credited with 12 saves, including two in OT, and the team recorded three defensive saves. Christa Doiron, Jenna Freitas and Torrie Huk scored for the home team.

In overtime, Ashley Mendonca (Brampton, Ontario) made an outlet pass to Gianna Bensaia (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) on the right side. From midfield, Bensaia sent the ball ahead to Carroll, who carried the ball across the 25 and into the right side of the circle before dropping a pass back to Bensaia at the top. Bensaia dribbled to the middle and blasted a low shot off Federico's leg pads. Off one bounce on the rebound, Carroll batted the ball into the open right side of the cage to end the game at 81:14.

In the second half, the River Hawks quickly transformed a one-goal deficit into a two-goal lead with three goals in a span of two minutes, 39 seconds. Doiron tied the score, 1-1, at 42:31 when she corralled Kelly Freitas' entry pass from the top and sent a shot into the cage. Jenna Freitas gave UML a 2-1 lead – the River Hawks' first lead in four lifetime games against the Wildcats – on an unassisted goal 62 seconds later.

UNH called time out, but Huk struck at 45:43 as she deposited a rebound of Kelly Freitas' initial shot into the cage.

New Hampshire quickly erased its two-goal deficit on goals by Nerbonne 1:55 apart. Nerbonne's pressure in the circle resulted in a penalty stroke, and she converted her fourth in as many attempts this season on a shot inside the right post to lift the 'Cats within 3-2 at 47:20 – just 97 seconds after Huk's goal.

The Wildcats converted a penalty corner into the game-tying goal at 49:15. Audino inserted the ball directly to Nerbonne, who was positioned just left of the top of the circle. Nerbonne teed up the ball and drove a low, hard shot in the right side of the cage.

With just under three minutes remaining in regulation, Nerbonne maneuvered across the top of the circle and blasted a reverse-stick shot that Frederico blocked away with her leg pads. UNH maintained possession, however, and moments later Courtney Sweeny (Windham, N.H.) corralled the loose ball in the middle of the circle and swept a shot toward goal that Frederico had to steer aside.

With 45 seconds on the clock, Sweeny had another dangerous scoring chance on the right side of the circle but this time at UML defender blocked the ball away as Frederico was attempting to retreat back into the goalmouth.

The teams ended regulation tied 3-3 despite UNH's sizeable lead in shots (26-13) and corners (12-2).

UNH pressured early, but shots by Nerbonne and Carroll were blocked by defenders and a third shot off Nerbonne's stick was stopped by Frederico. UMass Lowell generated the first corner at 2:20 of overtime. The River Hawks lobbed a high ball from the top-left of the circle that Doiron tipped wide of the left post.

The Wildcats earned a corner three minutes later, and Nerbonne's shot from the top of the circle ricocheted high off a defender's stick to create another corner. This time, the 'Cats did not record a shot.

Rize made a sprawling save to deny Doiron 10 minutes into the extra frame and turned her away again moments later, and that led to UNH's game-winning goal.

In the first half, Flatley scored on the second shot of the game to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead at 6:15. She took the ball away from a defender and deposited the ball into the left side of the cage.

UNH led by that one goal at halftime with a 14-3 shot advantage and 6-0 edge in penalty corners.

New Hampshire concludes the regular season Nov. 1 (1 p.m.) with a Senior Day game against 18^th-ranked University of Maine.

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