Box Score NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Bears came back from a three goal deficit twice in the second half to tie the game but were unable to complete the comeback as they fell in double overtime to Eastern Connecticut State University 9-8 in the first ever NCAA women's lacrosse game at the Coast Guard Academy.
Sophomore Niki Kruger led all scorers with four goals for the Bears. Senior Tori Borges added two goals and an assist of her own. Sophomore Sierra Webb and senior Ruby Surgent each had goals of their own while senior Holly Moore dished out one assist.
Freshman Maggie Bodington paced the Warriors as she had three goals. Senior Meg Eremita had one goal and two assists and junior Tess Mraz had two goals. Sophomores Bianca Jacques, Paige Schneider, and Amanda Will had a goal apiece.
The game started off well for Eastern as Bodington took a pass from Eremita and snuck a shot past freshman goalie Angel Fay just over a minute into the game. The Warriors would not fall behind for the rest of the game.
Borges let little time pass as she quickly knotted the game up on a free possession shot with 27:33 showing on the clock.
Eastern would score successive goals as Schneider and Jacques each netted unassisted goals to give the Warriors a 3-1 lead.
Borges would strike again for the Bears as she beat her defender and scored on sophomore goalie Taylor Emmerson for her second goal of the game with 12:59 left in the half.
After a goal by Will for Eastern, Kruger would score back to back goals to tie the game at four with 4:05 left in the half. Kruger's first goal was assisted by Moore and her second goal was unassisted.
The Warriors would however go into the half with a two goal advantage as Mraz had her first goal of the game assisted by Eremita and then Bodington would fire a shot past Fay for her second goal of the game giving Eastern a 6-4 lead.
Eremita would again put the Warriors on the board first in the second half as she scored her lone goal of the game to give Eastern its largest lead of the game at 7-4 with 24:33 left in the second half.
Coast Guard however scored four of the final five goals of the half coupled with eight saves by Fay, forcing the game into overtime. Webb was able to tip one past Emmerson off a pass from Borges to get the ball rolling for the Bears. The Warriors would push their lead to three once again on a goal by Mraz at 8-5 but two goals by Kruger and a goal by Surgent would tie the game at the end of regulation.
The first three minute of overtime went scoreless but Eastern found the game winner in the second overtime as Bodington forced a turnover, collected the ball, and fired a shot past Fay for the eventual game winner.
Bodington would win the next draw and Eastern was able to run out the clock giving the Warriors their first win of the season.
"Throughout the game our team improved and got stronger," commented head coach Ruth Ness. "A statement of relentlessness was made today; a great way to begin an inaugural season."
Fay made 13 saves on 22 shots on goals giving her and the Bears their first loss of the season (0-1).
Emmerson made seven saves on fifteen shots faced and was able to secure the first win of the season for Eastern raising her personal record and the team record to 1-1.
Coast Guard will return to action next weekend when they host Maritime (N.Y.) on Saturday, March 7th at 1:00 pm in a nonconference game.
