BOSTON – Senior captain Lisa van der Geest put herself in position to make a play and didn't miss capitalizing in the second overtime on Saturday afternoon in Boston as her golden goal pushed the Lafayette field hockey team to a victory over preseason Patriot League favorite Boston U., 3-2.
 
Van der Geest, for the second straight game, transitioned up the field to a more attacking role during the second overtime session and it payed off. This past Sunday, she assisted sophomore Molly McAndrew for the winner over No. 25 Monmouth, but on Saturday, she scored the winner herself, tapping a rebound into the right side to end it.
 
The win moves Lafayette to 3-0 in Patriot League play, the best conference start for the Leopards since going unbeaten in the league in 2012 on the way to a Patriot League title. It also moved the Maroon and White up over the .500 mark at 6-5 overall this season, while Boston U. drops to 0-2 in conference action and 3-6 overall in 2019.
 
Additionally, the game marks the fifth overtime game for the Leopards this season and fourth that has needed at least two extra frames. In those five contests, Lafayette carries a 3-2 record.
 
Lafayette proved its resiliency on Saturday, coming back from an early BU goal and responding with the winner after surrendering a lead late in the third quarter. The Terriers lit the board first in the 20^th minute off the game's first corner, but it took just four minutes for a response and less than eight minutes for a lead change as McAndrew and senior Sam Di Maio put the Leopards up by a 2-1 score at the break.
 
Boston U. equalized in the 41^st minute and the score line remained at 2-2 through regulation and the first overtime session, a period that featured just one shot, a Terriers effort that dribbled wide right. Lafayette took control in the second extra session, though, as senior Caroline Turnbull started the pressure with a 1v1 shot that needed to be turned aside by Boston U. keeper Caroline Kelley. Kelley couldn't keep the Leopards out for long, though, as the ball found its way into the circle again a minute later when van der Geest's perseverance resulted in the winning tally.
 
The majority of the game was played in the field as each team managed just one corner apiece on the afternoon. Lafayette led in shots, 14-9, and senior Sarah Park picked up her sixth win between the pipes with four saves.
 
Lafayette moves to the top spot by itself in the Patriot League standings at 3-0, followed by American, the only other unbeaten team remaining with a 2-0 mark after its win over Lehigh on Saturday morning. The Leopards are back in action in non-conference play on Sunday afternoon, traveling to Brown for a meeting with Bryant at 12 p.m.