NEW LONDON, Conn. –

With just over two minutes remaining in overtime, Coast Guard got the ball in the hands of their senior captain and leading scorer Caitlyn Coates(Hanover, PA). Coates would not disappoint. She drew a foul to earn herself a free position shot and buried it into the back of the net to win the game. The goal sets up the #4 seeded Bears for a date with #1 seeded Babson College. For Smith College, they finish up their 2025 season with a record of 10-8.

The game today marks the third consecutive season in which Smith and Coast Guard met in the opening round of the NEWMAC Tournament. The quarterfinal matchup lived up to its billing, as a classic back and forth effort ensued. There were seven ties and five lead changes throughout the 64 minutes played. 

It was Coast Guard who struck first with an unassisted Abby McAllister(Pleasantville, NY) goal before Smith scored twice in man-up opportunities in the middle minutes of the first quarter to take their first lead. With just over three minutes to go in the first, seniors Laine Weber(Granite Bay, CA) and Katharine Rott(Severna Park, MD) connected for a game tying goal on a perfect Weber pass and Rott shot. With under 30 seconds left, CGA committed their 5th card of the first quarter and Smith yet again capitalized, taking a 3-2 lead with 14 seconds remaining. 

The second quarter opened with another Smith goal, their first of the game at even strength. Their 4-2 lead marked the biggest Pioneer lead of the game and also held for nearly nine minutes until Katharine Rott came up clutch yet again with a goal, this time on an assist from Kira Howard(Wilton, CT). The Bears took the momentum from that Rott goal and tied the game on a man-down score from Caitlyn Coates. One minute later, Laine Weber directed traffic and found an open Kira Howard who put the ball past the Smith keeper to take the lead back at 5-4 heading into the half. 

Smith College came out firing in the second half on back-to-back goals from freshman Layna Fitzgerald(Indianapolis, IN) assisted by senior Sadie Tschider(Piedmont, CA). Down 6-5, Coast Guard took charge and appeared to take control with four unanswered goals in the final six and a half minutes of the 3rd. They scored twice on goals by Coates assisted by McAllister, with Katharine Rott adding her third goal of the afternoon and Isabella Judge(Buffalo, NY) assisting on Rott's after scoring one of her own. The 9-6 lead gave the Bears their largest lead of the day.

Just as they did in the 3rd quarter, Smith came out strong in the fourth. The Pioneers refused to let the Bears take the game over and scored three goals to tie the score at 9-9 early in the quarter. From that point on, the final 12 minutes of regulation was a tense display of outstanding defense, both squads playing their toughest ball of the season. In those final 12 minutes, the teams combined for six shots and eight turnovers. Causing two of the Smith turnovers were the anchors of the Coast Guard defense: defender Rowan Walsh(Hampstead, MD) and goalie Maici Mintchwarner(Cream Ridge, NY). Rowan had an outstanding afternoon, leading all players with four caused turnovers and seven ground balls. Mintchwarner had two caused turnovers, two ground balls, and made eight saves in goal to earn the victory. With three seconds to go in regulation, Abby McAllister fired a shot on goal(the first shot on goal for either team in over six minutes) but Pioneer keeper Brooke Testa(Pittstown, NJ) made the save to send the game to overtime. 

The first three minutes of OT went just like the final 12 minutes of regulation with neither team's defense relenting, keeping the offenses from getting anything on goal. Rowan Walsh picked up a huge ground ball after a Smith shot was blocked but the Bears would squander that opportunity with a turnover on the clear attempt. After the CGA failed clear gave Smith prime possession, it was Gabriella Kraus-Rivera(West Linn, OR) who came up clutch for Coast Guard. The junior defender got possession right back, with fearless defensive play to cause a Smith turnover. 

After the teams switched sides for the second three minutes of OT, the Bears got their chance when Kira Howard won the draw control. The win at the X for Howard paved the way for Coates to get fouled on her shot before winning the game on the free position goal. Howard led all Bears players with four draw controls, with Lauren Henry(Monroe, CT) behind her with two. The two DCs for Henry give her 100 on her career.

The Coates walk-off goal gave her four on the day to lead all Bears scorers, just ahead of Katharine Rott with three. 

After surviving and advancing today, Coast Guard will go on the road to face Babson College on Wednesday April 30th at 6:00 PM with the winner advancing to the NEWMAC Championship.