GREENWOOD - Mickey Burnett found a cutting Sophie Warren with 28 seconds left in the first overtime and the freshman deposited the golden goal into the right side of the net to give the Lander Women's Lacrosse team the 16-15 win over the Belmont Abbey Crusaders on Wednesday night at Van Taylor Stadium.
This marked the third straight game between the two sides decided by two goals or less and the second straight game in Greenwood to go into overtime.
Warren and Burnett both finished the game with five points, each netting three goals and assisting on two others. Alyssa Suchan, Izzy Olson, Ella Benson, and Kylie Fragala each netted a pair of goals as well. Between the pipes, Kara Krusbe made 12 saves.
The first quarter was a turnover-filled affair as the teams combined for 17 of them in the first 15 minutes and the first goal did not come until the 8:41 mark from the stick of Burnett. Olson added a second just over a minute later to double the lead at 2-0, Bearcats. However, the Crusaders ended the quarter on a 4-0 run to take a 4-2 lead into the second.
Suchan found Kayla Smith to bring Lander back within one and then Kasey Bronco tied the game at four less than a minute later. Then goals from Fragala, Burnett, and Warren capped off a 5-0 run to flip the scoreline completely in Lander's favor at 7-4. Belmont Abbey got a goal back to make it 7-5 going into the halftime break.
The teams went back and forth in a third quarter that saw Belmont Abbey take the lead at 9-8 before goals from Suchan and Benson gave Lander a 10-9 lead going into the final regulation frame.
Burnett made it 11-9 less than 90 seconds into the quarter but the Crusaders tied the game at 12 with just under nine and a half minutes left and took the lead with just under six minutes left, 13-12.
Benson tied the game from the top of the arch but the Crusaders once again established a two-goal lead at 15-13 with 3:09 left.
However, Lander responded quickly from the stick of Olson, and then after a forced turnover from Gabrielle Cantarella, Suchan tied the game at 15 with 47 seconds left. The Bearcats got the ensuing draw control and looked to end the game in regulation but could not get a shot off.
In the overtime period, Lander got the opening possession but was forced into a turnover. Lander returned the favor and had a great chance to end the game but a great shot from Ella Benson was stopped by an equally impressive save from the Crusaders' netminder.
However, after a Belmont Abbey timeout,
Kasey Bronco forced a turnover in the offensive end and off the restart found Burnett who then found Warren for the game-winner.
The Bearcats wrap their regular season on Saturday as they face the Alabama-Huntsville Chargers for a 2:00 PM first draw. The two teams will then meet in the Gulf South Semifinals for the third consecutive season as both sides are locked into the second and third seeds.
