ALMA, Mich. – The Alma College women's lacrosse team closed out the regular season with a matchup against Saint Mary's College (IN) at Bahlke Field on Friday, April 28th. The Scots battled hard with the current three seed in the MIAA and came away with a dramatic overtime victory, 17-16, heading into tournament play. 

Saint Mary's jumped out with an early offensive pressure and tallied the first two goals of the game. Alma cut the deficit in half with a goal by Sarah Bollinger just a minute after the Belles goal. Sam Peterson tied the game shortly after with her first of the game, locking the teams at twos. The Belles would again take a two-goal lead after two goals in 30 seconds following Alma's run. Emma Keith answered back with her own shot that made it past the goalkeeper to bring the Scots within one again. Lauren Kenny took advantage of a free position shot she was awarded to tie the game with just over five minutes left in the quarter. Once again, Saint Mary's scored two goals consecutively to regain a lead before Alma was given a man-up opportunity. On the man-up opportunity, Keith was able to find a lane and drive the net to score with the advantage, with just under a minute remaining in the quarter. On the following draw control, Saint Mary's would gain possession and strike just ten seconds later, which would send us to the end of the first with the scoring being 7-5 in favor of the Belles.

The second frame proved to be Alma as the Scots held the Belles off the scoresheet in the second. Alma scored their first of the quarter with 12 minutes remaining as Peterson scored on a free position opportunity to bring Alma within one. After about ten minutes, Peterson would find Jamie Sherman heading towards the net open and connect a pass as Sherman fired the ball into the net to tie the game with just over a minute remaining in the half. The Scots would take their first lead of the game just 40 seconds later as Peterson found the back of the net before the end of the half for her third of the game. Alma went into the halftime break leading 8-7.

Alma kept their momentum up after the break as coming out of the half, Kirsten Browne score just over a minute in giving Alma a two-goal lead. The Belles would not back away though as they found their stride and scored three unanswered goals in five minutes to regain the lead. In a back-and-forth affair, Peterson tied the game back up at tens with three minutes left in the third. Saint Mary's scored shortly after the Peterson goal but Rileigh McGeorge joined in on the scoresheet to once again tie the game as both teams headed into the fourth quarter.

In a game of runs, Saint Mary's put together another string of goals as to start the fourth, the Belles score three goals in three minutes, two while being man-up. The Scots fought back and put together their own collection of goals as Browne scored the first of three with a man-up opportunity. Less than 30 seconds later, Bollinger brought Alma within one with an unassisted goal, midway through the fourth. Again just 30 seconds after the Bollinger goal, Peterson scored her fifth of the game knot the game at 14's apiece. The Belles scored shortly after to regain the lead but Peterson looked to tie the game and scored her sixth of the night with four minutes remaining in the game. The Scots really tried to put the game away as Joanna Scorziello scored the leading goal with just under four minutes left looking to close the game out. The Belles would struggle, but eventually found the back of the net with just over a minute remaining as each team was held scoreless from there on out and the game headed to overtime.

In overtime, Saint Mary's took an early offensive possession after the draw control but were held off the board by several clutch saves from Cassidy Smith, giving Alma a chance once they were on offense. With 13 seconds left in the first overtime period, Kylie Lewis found Peterson cutting towards the net, and Peterson made sure to put the ball deep in the net as Alma was able to win their second consecutive overtime conference victory. 

Peterson led the Scots on the scoresheet as she recorded eight points on seven goals and one assist. Emma Keith was the next highest scorer with two goals and an assist on the game. McGeorge, Scorziello, Peterson, and Kenny each recorded four groundballs for a team-high in the respective category. Bollinger added another four more caused turnovers for a game-high, adding more to her record-breaking season total. 

The Scots will now await the MIAA Tournament seeding which will be announced in the near future.

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Story Credit: Eli Pinter, Sports Information Intern