Posted: Apr 28, 2023
ALMA, Mich. - The Saint Mary's lacrosse team came up just short in a 17-16 overtime nailbiter at Alma on Friday evening.
Valentina Rubio got the Belles on the scoreboard first with a goal 1:35 into action, and defensive pressure forced the Scots into some early turnovers before Rubio struck a second time with 10:05 on the clock. Emma Zmudzinski made a save on the first shot on goal she faced, but the Scots used an extended possession to get their first goal with under nine minutes remaining in the opening period. Alma added a second goal to knot the score at 2-2 with just over seven minutes in the quarter. Molly Mullett won the next draw control before Erin Dotson put away her 50th goal of the season for a 3-2 lead, and Dotson then capitalized on a free position chance from the left side of the critical scoring area to send a low shot into the back of the net for a 4-2 advantage. Alma responded with back-to-back goals to again tie the score with more than five minutes still to go in the first quarter. Lindsey Herdsman came up with a ground ball deep in the Belles' offensive end, and the graduate student then dodged a defender in the critical scoring area on a free position chance before putting away a goal to regain the lead for Saint Mary's. A won draw control by Mullett started a possession which saw Mullett cut through the middle of the Alma defense and put away a goal to make it a 6-4 game as the Scots called a timeout. After Alma scored with under a minute remaining, the Belles responded almost immediately with a Molly Mullett goal to give Saint Mary's a 7-5 lead at the quarter break.
Alma cut the Belles' lead to one with a free position goal less than three minutes into the quarter. The defense locked down on the Scots and forced Alma into off-the-mark free position shots before Emma Zmudzinski collected three consecutive saves in the span of less than a minute. Neither side capitalized on a handful of chances over the next five-plus minutes of action until Alma scored on a close-range shot with 1:40 to go before the half to tie the game at 7-7. The Scots kept a possession of their own alive late in the quarter to net a goal with 1:02 on the clock to gain an 8-7 edge. A late free position chance for the Belles tailed wide to make it an 8-7 game at the half.
A goal in transition by Alma gave the Scots a 9-7 lead early in the third period. Molly Mullett worked her way past a pair of defenders on the next chance for Saint Mary's and put away a goal to cut the deficit to 9-8. Christiana Singler put away a free position goal to pull the Belles even at 9-9 with under 11 minutes on the clock. Erin Dotson put Saint Mary's ahead after cutting past the goal and sliding a shot in after a free position chance with under nine minutes remaining in the third quarter. Emma Zmudzinski notched a pair of saves after the clock moved below the five-minute mark. The Scots made it a 10-10 game with a goal with 3:19 on the clock. Saint Mary's kept their next possession alive, and Alyssa Grant found Erin Dotson in the critical scoring area. Dotson dodged a crashing defender and put away the close-range goal to make it an 11-10 game. A goal in transition by the Scots a minute later tied the score yet again as the game moved to the fourth quarter all even at 11-11.
Molly Mullett won the opening draw of the fourth quarter, and quick passing by Reese Bauer led to a goal on the doorstep by Julia Gorski to give the Belles a 12-11 lead seconds into the period. Erin Dotson was rewarded for a strong cut through the critical scoring area with a goal to make it 13-11, and Alyssa Grant fired in a free position goal less than two minutes later for a 14-11 advantage. Emma Zmudzinski made a low save with ten minutes to play, but a player-up free position goal by the Scots with under eight minutes left on the clock made it a two-goal game. A quick Alma goal cut the Belles' lead to one with 7:36 remaining, and the Scots tied the game at 14-14 with 7:07 on the clock as the Belles called a timeout. A stop on the defensive end yielded a transition chance for the Belles, and Reese Bauer buried a shot for a 15-14 lead with 4:56 to play in the period. The back-and-forth play continued with Alma netting a goal less than a minute later. The Scots took a 16-15 lead with under four minutes to play. A yellow card against the Scots gave Saint Mary's a player-up advantage, and Erin Dotson utilized the advantage to score a goal with just over a minute to go to tie the game 16-16. A turnover, however, gave the Scots a late chance to potentially score the game-winner. The Saint Mary's defense kept the pressure dialed in and did not allow Alma to get off a shot as the game went to overtime.
Erin Dotson battled her way to winning the draw control to start the added period, and the Belles used a timeout to talk through a scoring chance. Saint Mary's was unable to capitalize on the chance as Alma gained possession. The Belles fought off a player-down situation after a green card, but Scots scored the sudden-victory goal after a restart on their extended possession in the 17-16 final.
Erin Dotson led the Belles with six goals to go along with five draw controls, a ground ball, and a caused turnover. Molly Mullett posted three goals, seven draw controls, three ground balls, and two caused turnovers. Valentina Rubio tallied two goals, a game-high and career-best eight draw controls, six ground balls, and two caused turnovers. Reese Bauer and Julia Gorski each recorded a goal and an assist, and Christiana Singler, Lindsey Herdsman, and Alyssa Grant each scored a goal. Herdsman added two ground balls, and Grant had two caused turnovers. Mary Grace Heekin tallied two caused turnovers and two ground balls for the Belles. Emma Zmudzinski made 11 saves in goal with a pair of ground balls.
The Belles (11-6, 5-2 MIAA) end the regular season in a three-way tie for second place in MIAA standings, and Saint Mary's will await official word of how the tiebreakers will determine the semifinal round of next week's conference tournament. The MIAA Tournament bracket will be announced later this weekend.
Valentina Rubio got the Belles on the scoreboard first with a goal 1:35 into action, and defensive pressure forced the Scots into some early turnovers before Rubio struck a second time with 10:05 on the clock. Emma Zmudzinski made a save on the first shot on goal she faced, but the Scots used an extended possession to get their first goal with under nine minutes remaining in the opening period. Alma added a second goal to knot the score at 2-2 with just over seven minutes in the quarter. Molly Mullett won the next draw control before Erin Dotson put away her 50th goal of the season for a 3-2 lead, and Dotson then capitalized on a free position chance from the left side of the critical scoring area to send a low shot into the back of the net for a 4-2 advantage. Alma responded with back-to-back goals to again tie the score with more than five minutes still to go in the first quarter. Lindsey Herdsman came up with a ground ball deep in the Belles' offensive end, and the graduate student then dodged a defender in the critical scoring area on a free position chance before putting away a goal to regain the lead for Saint Mary's. A won draw control by Mullett started a possession which saw Mullett cut through the middle of the Alma defense and put away a goal to make it a 6-4 game as the Scots called a timeout. After Alma scored with under a minute remaining, the Belles responded almost immediately with a Molly Mullett goal to give Saint Mary's a 7-5 lead at the quarter break.
Alma cut the Belles' lead to one with a free position goal less than three minutes into the quarter. The defense locked down on the Scots and forced Alma into off-the-mark free position shots before Emma Zmudzinski collected three consecutive saves in the span of less than a minute. Neither side capitalized on a handful of chances over the next five-plus minutes of action until Alma scored on a close-range shot with 1:40 to go before the half to tie the game at 7-7. The Scots kept a possession of their own alive late in the quarter to net a goal with 1:02 on the clock to gain an 8-7 edge. A late free position chance for the Belles tailed wide to make it an 8-7 game at the half.
A goal in transition by Alma gave the Scots a 9-7 lead early in the third period. Molly Mullett worked her way past a pair of defenders on the next chance for Saint Mary's and put away a goal to cut the deficit to 9-8. Christiana Singler put away a free position goal to pull the Belles even at 9-9 with under 11 minutes on the clock. Erin Dotson put Saint Mary's ahead after cutting past the goal and sliding a shot in after a free position chance with under nine minutes remaining in the third quarter. Emma Zmudzinski notched a pair of saves after the clock moved below the five-minute mark. The Scots made it a 10-10 game with a goal with 3:19 on the clock. Saint Mary's kept their next possession alive, and Alyssa Grant found Erin Dotson in the critical scoring area. Dotson dodged a crashing defender and put away the close-range goal to make it an 11-10 game. A goal in transition by the Scots a minute later tied the score yet again as the game moved to the fourth quarter all even at 11-11.
Molly Mullett won the opening draw of the fourth quarter, and quick passing by Reese Bauer led to a goal on the doorstep by Julia Gorski to give the Belles a 12-11 lead seconds into the period. Erin Dotson was rewarded for a strong cut through the critical scoring area with a goal to make it 13-11, and Alyssa Grant fired in a free position goal less than two minutes later for a 14-11 advantage. Emma Zmudzinski made a low save with ten minutes to play, but a player-up free position goal by the Scots with under eight minutes left on the clock made it a two-goal game. A quick Alma goal cut the Belles' lead to one with 7:36 remaining, and the Scots tied the game at 14-14 with 7:07 on the clock as the Belles called a timeout. A stop on the defensive end yielded a transition chance for the Belles, and Reese Bauer buried a shot for a 15-14 lead with 4:56 to play in the period. The back-and-forth play continued with Alma netting a goal less than a minute later. The Scots took a 16-15 lead with under four minutes to play. A yellow card against the Scots gave Saint Mary's a player-up advantage, and Erin Dotson utilized the advantage to score a goal with just over a minute to go to tie the game 16-16. A turnover, however, gave the Scots a late chance to potentially score the game-winner. The Saint Mary's defense kept the pressure dialed in and did not allow Alma to get off a shot as the game went to overtime.
Erin Dotson battled her way to winning the draw control to start the added period, and the Belles used a timeout to talk through a scoring chance. Saint Mary's was unable to capitalize on the chance as Alma gained possession. The Belles fought off a player-down situation after a green card, but Scots scored the sudden-victory goal after a restart on their extended possession in the 17-16 final.
Erin Dotson led the Belles with six goals to go along with five draw controls, a ground ball, and a caused turnover. Molly Mullett posted three goals, seven draw controls, three ground balls, and two caused turnovers. Valentina Rubio tallied two goals, a game-high and career-best eight draw controls, six ground balls, and two caused turnovers. Reese Bauer and Julia Gorski each recorded a goal and an assist, and Christiana Singler, Lindsey Herdsman, and Alyssa Grant each scored a goal. Herdsman added two ground balls, and Grant had two caused turnovers. Mary Grace Heekin tallied two caused turnovers and two ground balls for the Belles. Emma Zmudzinski made 11 saves in goal with a pair of ground balls.
The Belles (11-6, 5-2 MIAA) end the regular season in a three-way tie for second place in MIAA standings, and Saint Mary's will await official word of how the tiebreakers will determine the semifinal round of next week's conference tournament. The MIAA Tournament bracket will be announced later this weekend.