QU Field Hockey Storms Back Late To Defeat Rider

Friday, October 23

Lawrenceville, N.J.

4:30 pm

Quinnipiac University

(7-9, 4-0MAAC)

Rider

(9-6, 1-2MAAC)

Team	1	2	OT 1	Final F
Quinnipiac	0	2	1	3
Rider University	2	0	0	2

10/23/2015 7:30:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

By: QU Sports Information

Lawrenceville, N.J. – Down 2-0 with five minutes to play, the Quinnipiac field hockey team rallied to tie the score with no time left on two Savanna Reilly (Hamden, Conn.) goals, and then Dayna Barlow (Port Elizabeth, South Africa - pictured) converted the game-winner 47 seconds into overtime as the Bobcats earned a dramatic 3-2 road win over Rider on Friday evening.

With the win, Quinnipiac improves to 7-9 overall and 4-0 in the MAAC after its second dramatic comeback overtime win during conference play. The Bobcats can now clinch the top seed and the right to host the MAAC Tournament with a win at Monmouth on Sunday. Rider, which had been undefeated at home this season (5-0) coming into the game, falls to 9-6 overall and 1-2 in the league with the loss.

Reilly scored her first goal with 4:44 remaining to cut the Rider lead to 2-1. Lauren Belskie (Hillsborough, N.J.), who kept the Bobcats in it with a key defensive save midway through the second half, sent a hard pass into the circle from 30 yards out and Reilly was able to get the finish in front to cut the lead in half.

The Bobcats then earned a penalty corner with 30 seconds left to set up one final chance at forcing the overtime session. The ball deflected through to the right side, and Barlow played it forward, where Reilly was able to sweep a shot past Rider goalie Joelle Prettyman and over the line to knot the score up.

The same two players then combined on the game winner just 47 seconds into overtime. The Bobcats quickly earned possession at the start of the extra session and Reilly played the ball up the left side. Barlow was able to leak in behind the Rider defense and slipped a shot past the onrushing Prettyman and into the cage to set off a Bobcat celebration.

The second half was a complete reversal from the opening half, when Rider led 2-0 and held an 8-1 edge in shots, while holding Quinnipiac without a penalty corner.

"I think our attacking changed in the second half," said Reilly. "We just made an effort to put more shots on the cage. In the first half, we might have been possessing the ball but we weren't really creating opportunities, and I think once we made an effort to send the ball towards the cage and attack, we were able to put them under some pressure and make things happen."

Rider nearly had a chance to put the game away with 18:18 left, but Belskie came up big for the Bobcats. Rider's Carlie Spaeder broke alone into the circle on a counter for Rider, and Quinnipiac goalie Megan Conaboy (Clarks Summit, Pa.) came off her line to cut down the angle. Spaeder dribbled around Conaboy and had the net open, but Belskie was able to hustle back to the line just in time to clear the ball away.

"I just remember seeing the net open and knowing that if I didn't get back and save the ball, that Rider was probably going to win," said Belskie. "It was a pivotal play, since I think everyone picked it up after that knowing we were still in it.."

Quinnipiac outshot Rider 13-10 for the game, including 12-2 after the 8-1 deficit at intermission. Conaboy finished with six saves, including five in the first half. The Bobcats also defeated Sacred Heart 3-2 in overtime on Oct. 16 after tying the score with less than two minutes to play.

"With the tough schedule we played this year, we have gotten used to playing through adversity," said Reilly. "We never get down on each other. We just stay positive and keep fighting until the end."

Quinnipiac will travel to Monmouth on Sunday for a 1 p.m. game that will likely determine the host for the 2015 MAAC Championship.