Field Hockey Handed 2-1 Loss by Gwynedd-Mercy in a Shootout

(box score)

Widener fought all the way to the end, but it was Gwynedd-Mercy who came away with 2-1 shootout victory in Gwynedd Valley, PA.

Three minutes into the match, Gwynedd-Mercy took the lead off a goal from Brittany Wilson. Maria Karidas slapped the ball into the Widener crease and the defense saved the ball, but Wilson was able to rebound the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.

With only two minutes left in the first half Widener evened the score, 1-1, off a goal from senior Devon Biglin (Ocean City, NJ). Biglin passed the ball off a penalty corner to junior Mackenzie Lindquist (Ocean City, NJ) who fired the ball towards the net. Biglin came running from the corner, got her stick on the ball and touched home her third score of the season.

The second half would not include a goal by either team. The Pride defense of freshman Dana Adamson (Warrington, PA), along with seniors Hannah Dinsmore (Wayne, PA) and Lindsay Donovan (Pittsgrove, NJ) held the Griffins to only two shots in the second half.

In overtime, it was junior goalie Maggie Karmeris (Wilmington, DE) and her willingness to sacrifice her body that kept the Pride alive. Karmeris playing with only six teammates on the field during overtime was forced to leave her net and make defensive stops from 10 and 15 yards out. Karmeris finished with nine saves.

After 70 minutes of regulation followed by 30 minutes of overtime, still no winner was decided and the game headed into a shootout. It was the second time in the 14-year era of head coach Larissa Gillespie a game would be settled by a shootout, with the first taking place on September 8, 2011 in a win over Neumann.

In the shootout, sophomore Ashley Aires (Bayville, NJ) and senior Samantha Balonis (Northumberland, PA) were both able to fake right and shoot backhand shots past opposing goalkeeper Kelly Kruk. But it was Gwynedd-Mercy that managed four goals in the shootout and finished with the win.

The Pride will be back in action at home on Friday against Cabrini at 7:00 pm.

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