Orange Comeback Falls Short, Loses At Loyola 13-12 In Overtime

Saturday, April 8

Baltimore, Md.

3:30 p.m.

Syracuse University

13 (ot)

Loyola

Gaddy Fortune scored five second half goals to force overtime.

Orange Comeback Falls Short, Loses At Loyola 13-12 In Overtime

4/8/2006 7:36:59 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

BALTIMORE, Md. – No. 11 Syracuse scored three goals in the last 3:26 of regulation to send the game into overtime, but Loyola escaped with the 13-12 victory on April 8 at Geppi-Aikens Field. Junior Gaddy Fortune (Long Branch, N.J.) scored all three goals for SU in the waning minutes. She totaled a game-high five goals in the loss. It was the first road game for Syracuse in 32 days.

With 5:06 left in the game, Loyola’s Emily Lawrence scored an unassisted goal to give the Greyhounds a commanding 12-9 lead. Fortune took the game into her own hands from then on. At the 3:26 mark, she connected on free-position opportunity to cut the deficit to two. Less than a minute later, Fortune found the back of the net again on an unassisted tally. Finally, with 1:36 to go in the game, Fortune notched her fifth goal of the game to tie it 12-12.

In the overtime period, Kate McHarg, Loyola’s leading scorer, slipped a shot past the SU goalkeeper just 26 seconds in to take the BIG EAST win. Fortune had a free-position shot with 1:30 left to go in overtime, but the Loyola defense blocked her attempt.

Freshman Kathryn Rowan (Delmar, N.Y.) posted two goals and two assists for the Orange in the loss. Junior Jill DePetris (Radnor, Pa.) and sophomore Kristin Brady (Binghamton, N.Y.) both had a goal and four draw controls. Three other Orange student-athletes contributed with a goal in the game.

The second overtime game this year marks the second time in program history that SU has played extra sessions twice in the same season. In 2003, the Orange split a pair of overtime games against Virginia and Maryland. Earlier this season, Syracuse defeated Dartmouth in overtime at the Carrier Dome.

The Orange, which played catch up all day, started the scoring when junior Melissa Pearsall (Cortland, N.Y.) took advantage of a free-position opportunity. It was the only SU lead of the day. McHarg scored the next two goals to give the Greyhounds a 2-1 edge at the 22:53 mark. DePetris added her tally to tie the game, and then the teams traded another goal to make it 3-3 midway through the first half. Loyola scored three unanswered goals in the next six minutes to take a 6-3 lead with 9:16 to go. After junior Shari Appollon (Freeport, N.Y.) notched a goal, Kate Filippelli scored another Loyola goal to give the Greyhounds a 7-4 lead at the break.

Loyola came out firing in the second half and scored the first thee goals of the frame to take a 10-4 lead with 23:27 left in the game. SU fought right back, scoring five unanswered goals in 10 minutes to pull within one, 10-9, at the 15:02 mark. Fortune had two goals in that span. Loyola scored the next to goals to take the 12-9 advantage, setting up Fortune’s heroics to force overtime.

For the Greyhounds (5-6, 2-1), McHarg and Lawrence both had four goals. Stephanie Walker added two goals and an assist while Chrissy Nicolaus recorded a goal and an assist. Alex Piraino stopped nine shots in goal.

Syracuse (7-4, 1-2) returns home on Wednesday, April 12 when it hosts Empire State rival Colgate at 7:00 p.m. at the Carrier Dome.