(3-0-0)     1 2 OT F  Lafayette 2 0 1 3  Monmouth 1 1 0 0   Box Score (4-1-0)  

 

EASTON, Pa. - A brilliant through-ball from senior Anna Wissler landed at the foot of freshman Annika Sheehan with open space in front of her and 5:11 left on the clock in overtime on Thursday. The rookie didn't miss her chance at a stellar first collegiate goal, the game-winner in a 3-2 win over Monmouth for Lafayette women's soccer at Mike Bourger '44 Field at Oaks Stadium.

"Anna [Wissler] gave me a great ball and Katie [Brannigan] told me to go for it, so I did," Sheehan said. "I composed myself, took the shot, hoped for the best, and it went in. The dog pile was a little scary because I was losing my breath, but it was awesome at the same time."

In a game that featured 26 shots, five goals, two defensive saves and an overtime thriller, Lafayette earned just its second win over Monmouth in 15 tries. The Leopards also got their redemption after falling comfortably a season ago in West Long Branch, N.J. by a 3-0 scoreline.

"The game was a really good advertisement for Division I women's college soccer," head coach Mick Statham said. "They're a really good team...they're really well coached and super talented. For us to play well and win, I'm thrilled."

With the victory, the Leopards are off to their first 3-0 start since the 2011 season. Coincidentally, that year was the last time Lafayette had been victorious over the Hawks and the Leopards' last playoff berth came that fall.

Thursday night's contest was riddled with momentum swings as the Leopards sprung out to a 2-0 lead in the opening 40 minutes. First, though, sophomore Olivia Heitz kept the Hawks off the board in the 21^st minute when a shot rebounded off junior goalkeeper Danielle Sedillo and toward the far corner of the net. Heitz raced back and cleared the ball off the line for a key defensive save.

The first tally fell Lafayette's way in the 34^th minute as a deflected clear off the shin of Brannigan surprised Monmouth goalkeeper Sydney Lavan and beat her in the right side for the early edge.

Just over five minutes later, Sheehan and junior Kaelin King hooked up for the Leopards' second score. Sheehan used her pace to find an open area down the right side of the field and cut a cross back to an open King who slotted the ball in the near side for a 2-0 advantage.

Just before the half, the Hawks answered off a corner. Monique Goncalves sent a service into the middle of the box where Erica Murphy went up for the challenge with Sedillo. The ball skimmed off the keeper's outstretched arm and into the top netting to cut the edge to one at the break.

"Giving up a goal right on the stroke of halftime is a tough time for any team to concede," Statham added. "I didn't sense in the locker room that it flustered us at all and, even when Monmouth tied it up, I didn't feel the team panic. I thought we handled it, took it in stride and recognized that it's part of the game. Fortunately, our rookie scored a great goal and we got what we wanted."

Monmouth's tying tally came in the 71^st minute when a long ball found a streaking Alexis McTamney, who along with Rachelle Ross, was in a 2v1 situation in front of the Lafayette goal. McTamney calmly sent a pass across the box that found an open Ross on the other side, who finished in the right side to knot the game at two apiece.

The two teams were comfortable with possession over the next 10 minutes or so before a frantic series of events in the 84^th minute almost sealed the game in regulation. Off a corner service from senior Madison Murray, the ball fell to the foot of classmate Kelly Chickering just outside the box. Her initial shot got through a host of Hawk defenders and all the way to the goal line before it was saved off the line, this time by Monmouth's Julie Spracklin. Spracklin's clear, however, found Chickering again in space, but her second shot just missed the upper right corner.

From there, the game moved to overtime and Lafayette was clearly the more aggressive team in the extra session. Sheehan's chip finish over Lavan in the 95^th minute of action gave the Maroon and White the quality victory they were looking for.

Sedillo was excellent between the pipes for her third win of the season, making six saves on the night, while Lavan stopped four Lafayette shots on goal in defeat. Shots were tied at 13 apiece and the Hawks held the edge in corners, 7-3.

The Leopards will look to move to 4-0 for the first time since 2001 on Sunday when they finish up their four-game homestand with Manhattan at 1 p.m. A 4-0 start would be just the second in the history of the program, and Lafayette has never begun a season 5-0.

NOTE: The start time of the game was delayed over an hour and began around 8:15 p.m. due to a lightning storm in the area.