DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Feb. 24, 2018) – Powered by the game-winning goal in overtime from junior Hunter Isnardi (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville), the No. 11/12 Mercy College women's lacrosse team earned a 13-12 victory over Saint Anselm College on Saturday afternoon at Mercy Field.
The Mavericks (2-0) start 2-0 for the third straight year, while the Hawks (0-1) open their season with a loss.
Isnardi continued her strong play finishing with a game-high seven goals, three ground balls and 11 draw controls. Senior Grace Davidson (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) added two goals and sophomore Katherine Sanchez (Freeport, N.Y./Freeport) produced a goal and two assists. Senior Emily Jehle (Wading River, N.Y./Riverhead) dished out three assists and sophomore Mary Mackie (Bellport, N.Y./Bellport) and freshmen Briana Corace (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) and Casey Shimborske (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) also scored. Junior Erin Dingman (Watertown, N.Y./Onondaga CC) dished out an assist. Junior Talia Stagnitta (Patchogue, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) had three caused turnovers and Emma Jacobsen (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) played the full 61:35 in net with 11 saves to earn the win.
Saint Anselm was led by Breda Holland who had a team-high four goals and Zoie Cavotta made nine saves in a losing effort.
Mercy looked to build upon their win on Wednesday, but the Hawks would get on the board less than 30 seconds in to take a 1-0 lead. Isnardi answered with her first goal of the day, off a feed from Jehle, that tied the score up at 1-1 just under two minutes later. Meaghan Sheehy gave the lead back to Saint Anselm with a goal at the 21:26 mark. Mackie evened the score at 2-2 before Holland recorded her first goal of the game to put the Hawks up, 3-2.
Isnardi produced two consecutive goals to give the Mavericks their first lead of the game, 4-3, with 13:39 left in the half. Sanchez continued the run with a free position goal just under two minutes later that made it 5-3. Isnardi netted the final goal of the half at the 8:10 mark to put Mercy ahead 6-3 at halftime.
Davidson increased the Mavericks lead to four, 7-3, with a free position goal with 24:48 remaining in the half. The Hawks answered right back with three straight goals to make it a one-goal game, 7-6, with 22:17 left in regulation. Davidson and Isnardi scored back-to-back goals that put the Mercy lead to three, 9-6, with just under 20 minutes left.
After a Sheehy goal made it 9-7, Shimborske and Isnardi answered with two straight goals to put the Mavericks ahead 11-7 with 15 minutes left in regulation. Mercy looked to be pulling away, but the Hawks hung in and scored four unanswered goals to tie the game up at 11-11 with eight minutes left.
The score remained tied at 11-11 until the 3:53 mark when Corace scored, off a pass from Dingman, that put the Mavericks back in front 12-11. Molly Beck tied the game up at 12-12 with just 29 seconds left in regulation. The Mavericks won the following draw control and drew a free position attempt, but the shot would go wide and time would run out sending the game into overtime.
Mercy won the opening draw control in overtime and would have two shot attempts before Isnardi put the game away with her seventh goal of the game with 1:25 remaining in the overtime period to give the Mavericks the victory.
Mercy held a 36-27 edge in shots, a 16-12 advantage in ground balls and a 16-10 edge in draw controls.
Head Coach Dawn Sachs and the Mavericks look to make it three wins in a row when they play at Southern New Hampshire on Wednesday, February 28th at 3 p.m.
