Box Score
HOBOKEN, NJ -- Senior captain Alyssa Pigott netted the 200th goal of her career 1:07 into the third overtime period to lift the No. 17 Stevens Institute of Technology women's lacrosse team to a thrilling, 11-10, victory over eighth-ranked Union College on Saturday afternoon at the De Baun Athletic Complex. Stevens (2-0) was able to erase a four-goal deficit in the second half and got a free-position tally from freshman Joey Galligan with one second left in regulation to send the game into overtime.
Jill LaForest and
Kristin Joyce each scored four goals for the Dutchwomen, who have started the season with two tight overtime losses on the road to ranked teams. Joyce now has 157 career points and moved past Union Athletics Hall of Fame member Holly Howard '83 (155 pts.) into seventh all-time. She is now five points behind All-American Keri Messa '08.
Union scored the game's next two goals before Pigott's second made it a 5-3 game, but the Dutchwomen scored two of the final three goals in the first half to take a 7-4 lead into the intermission.
LaForest gave Union its largest advantage (8-4) 2:15 into the second, but the Ducks remained composed and began their rally 12-plus minutes later. Junior Christine Smith (put away a nice feed from Pigott to make it 8-5 Union with 15:15 left. Just 15 seconds later Pigott set up Galligan with her second goal of the game to trim the lead to two, and 1:13 after Galligan's tally, Smith converted a free-position attempt to cut the lead to one. Wasserman notched the equalizer with 12:46 to play, and the two teams remained knotted at eight (8-8) for the next 10:12.
The Dutchwomen were able to regain the lead with 2:14 remaining thanks to Joyce.
After her tally that gave Union the lead, Joyce controlled the ensuing draw and the Dutchwomen were able to maintain possession for the next 1:53. However, with 21 seconds left, Duck freshman Spencer Waybright forced a turnover and got the Ducks started in transition. With 16 seconds left, head coach Celine Cunningham called a timeout. The first attempt after the timeout sailed wide but the Ducks maintained possession and Galligan capitalized after a foul was called on Union with five seconds left.
Neither team scored in the first three-minute overtime, but Joyce scored with 51 seconds left in the second overtime period to give Union a 10-9 lead. That lead was short lived as the Ducks took the draw, and Pigott hooked up with Smith for her third goal of the game to tie things up.
Union controlled the opening draw in the third overtime period, but Stevens junior tri-captain Kate Cox caused a turnover, scooped up a ground ball, and started the Ducks on the offensive. Moments later, Pigott fired a rifle into the lower-right corner of the goal for the game winner, capping an outstanding all-around game for the entire Ducks team.
Freshman goalkeeper Meg Collins came on in the second half and did a great job between the pipes for Stevens, making four impressive stops. Pigott finished with three goals, the last being the game-winner and 200th of her outstanding career, three assists, and two draw controls. Smith scored three times, notched five draw controls and two caused turnovers. Wasserman had two scores and four ground balls, while Galligan tallied three times. Buonacuore had two assists, and Cox caused a team-high four turnovers and picked up four ground balls.
The Dutchwomen open their home side of the season schedule on March 13 against St. John Fisher at Frank Bailey Field. The game is set to start at 1 p.m.
