HAMILTON – Regulation time just wouldn't cut it on a sunny afternoon on Tyler's Field. The Colgate field hockey program responded to Towson's two-goal lead with a strong second-half showing of offense to build a 3-2 lead, but the Tigers were able to ultimately force overtime and another chance at the win. It would take just 48 seconds of overtime action for the Raiders to claim a 4-3 victory behind a penalty stroke goal by
Taylor Casamassa.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game started with a clean quarter of action from the Raiders, not allowing any penalty corners. While they looked to capitalize on two corners of their own, the Raiders faced a scoreless session after 15:00 of play. The Tigers began to battle back in the second quarter, and it was when Colgate sacrificed three straight corners in the final minute of the half that Towson finally converted for a 1-0 lead. The advantage was earned just 19 seconds before halftime and was a lead Towson would carry into the second half.
Midway through the third quarter, Towson gained a two-goal advantage by scoring on another corner opportunity. It was when the Raiders earned a corner of their own that they were able to bring it within one. Senior
Nicole Salamone inserted the ball into play, before striding in for the rebound shot to the low left corner of the goal.
Despite the increased offense by the Raiders, they faced a 2-1 deficit heading into the fourth quarter. On one of Colgate's four corners in the stanza, Salamone fed the ball up top to junior
Meredith Rappaport. Sending the ball high across the defenders, Rappaport was able to tie the game at 2-2 with her first career goal from the outer edge of the arc.
The Raiders continued to rally and earned its first lead of the day in the waning minutes of regulation. With just 2:53 remaining, Salamone capitalized on a cross pass by tipping the ball in to the low right corner of the net just past the goalkeeper's reach.
Responding to the Raiders' three-goal run, Towson was able to force overtime by scoring just 41 seconds later to make it a 3-3 game. The teams entered the overtime session square on the scoreboard, but momentum continued to stay on the Raiders side.
Just 48 seconds into the extra play the Raiders were awarded a corner, one in which Towson committed an infraction. The move would award a penalty stroke to Colgate in extra time.
Squaring up with the Tiger goalkeeper was junior
Taylor Casamassa. Executing just as effectively as the Raiders had through the second half, Casamassa sent the ball to the low left corner of the cage past the keeper. With a flurry of players rushing the field, the Raiders defeated Towson in the overtime 4-3 final with the penalty stroke.
STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
• With her tying tally, junior
Meredith Rappaport recorded her first career goal.
• Behind a two-goal performance, senior
Nicole Salamone earned her first career multi-goal game. Extending to a three-game point streak, Salamone posts a total of eight points on the year's four games.
• Salamone also led the Raiders with six shots on goal, doubling her previous career-high of three earned against LIU Brooklyn last year (Aug. 26, 2018).
• In addition to stretching to a three-game point streak, junior
Taylor Casamassa notched her first career game-winning goal, and has two goals in the last three games.
• With clean play on either end of the game, the Raiders allowed no penalty corners in the opening quarter, and just one in the fourth.
• The fourth quarter was a standout stanza with nine shots, totaling 20 on the day. It marks the second time the Raiders have hit 20-plus shots this season after tallying 27 against Saint Louis (Aug. 31).
• Colgate's 11 shots on goal are the most since tallying 13 against LIU Brooklyn last season (Aug. 26, 2018).
• The Raiders exceled with their chances on penalty corners, with three of their four goals stemming from their nine chances.
THE BOTTOM LINE
• Colgate 4, Towson 3 (OT)
RECORD UPDATES
• Colgate improves to a 2-2 overall record.
• Towson drops to 0-3 on the year.
HEAD COACH APRIL CORNELL'S TAKE
"We were extremely determined and stepped out onto the field with one goal, and one goal in mind – to make sure we had the victory when we stepped off the field. The first half didn't go as we expected or had planned, but we certainly knew what we were capable of. That mindset and belief pushed us and gave us the energy and confidence to make sure we got the job done.
"I'm extremely proud of
Nicole Salamone today. She had two goals on the game but you could see her determination. The grit that she had led the team, and she made the team aware that she was going to win the game. It gave everybody else the confidence and a lot of energy around her.
"We do see a lot of growth this year, and I think it's the mental part of our game that has really grown. To come back from down two goals really shows how relentless this group is. They had the belief that they could win the game, even when they were down two goals."
FROM SENIOR NICOLE SALAMONE
"Everyone stayed really composed throughout the game and that has been one of our goals all season. We've been working on seeing what the other team does and then control how we react to it. It's not necessarily about what they do, but learning how important it is to react in the best way possible.
"We're going to continue challenging each other in practice. We have a deep bench and with how we've been challenging each other, it's helped make everyone better."
UP NEXT
The Raiders return to the road next Sunday, Sept. 15, when they travel to Lawrenceville, New Jersey to face Rider. Game time is slated for a 1 p.m. start, before the Raiders return to host Albany on Sept. 17 on Tyler's Field.
FOLLOW THE RAIDERS
For more information on the Colgate field hockey program, follow the Raiders on Twitter @ColgateFH and on Instagram at Colgate_FH.