March 5, 2003

Box Score

DAVIS, Calif. -

Heather Bryce scored the game-tying goal with 96 seconds remaining in the second overtime, then assisted on Carolyn Smirty's winning score just 25 seconds later to lift Holy Cross to an 11-10 victory over UC Davis in a women's collegiate lacrosse game at Aggie Field Wednesday.

The Aggies fall to 1-3 on the season. The Crusaders even their record to 2-2.

Katie Britt led Holy Cross with five goals -- all in the first half -- while Kate Hanson paced UC Davis with four goals and an assist. Jaime Fitzpatrick added a hat trick and an assist for the Aggies.

Both teams engaged in a seesaw battle during the first half. Britt was the first to score, converting a pass from Erin Rowse within the first two minutes of play. But Liz Collett scored the first of her two goals and Kate Hanson punched in back-to-back shots to give the Aggies a 3-1 lead. The Crusaders countered with their own 3-0 run, during which Britt scored two more and Justine Reeber had two assists. Britt had two more goals in the first half to help Holy Cross take a 7-6 halftime advantage.

Jana Tencati put the Crusaders up by two with her unassisted try in the 38th minute, but the Aggies held Holy Cross at bay for the next 19:34 while finding the back of the net three times. The third goal of that run was a backhanded effort by Hanson that lifted UC Davis to a 9-8 lead.

After Reeber tied the game at the 56:47 mark, the Aggies went into a slowdown mode in an effort to convert a winning shot with minimal time remaining. Fitzpatrick attacked the cage from the left baseline but Kellaigh Malangone stopped the attempt and Smiry recovered the ground ball to force the overtime.

UC Davis' Tiffany Lee won the initial draw in overtime but Stacy Sugarman and Leslie Kado each missed their respective shot attempts on the first possession. Crusader Katie O'Connor grabbed the ground ball from Kado's shot, but immediately turned it over. Jaime Fitzpatrick punched in goal at 62:10 to give UC Davis a 10-9 lead. Lee won the ensuing draw and a foul by Smirty allowed Sugarman a free-position opportunity. Sugarman's shot missed the cage and Malangone held the ball for the remainder of the first overtime.

Midway through the second three-minute overtime period, Kate Hanson issued a yellow card just beyond the Holy Cross restraining line. On that possession, the Crusaders cleared the ball to Bryce who attacked the Aggie cage on a fast break and fired the game-tying shot at 64:24. Tencati won the subsequent draw, allowing Bryce to set up Smirty for the winning shot with 1:11 on the clock.

UC Davis had a final possession around the Holy Cross cage, but Malangone posted two of her eight saves in that final minute. She stopped Collett's free-position attempt, then Naomi Coffman's second-effort shot in the final seconds to protect the win.

GOALS - HC: Katie Britt 5, Carolyn Smirty 2, Erin Rowse 1, Justine Reeber 1, Heather Bryce 1, Jana Tencati 1. UC Davis: Kate Hanson 4, Jaime Fitzpatrick 3, Liz Collett 2, Leslie Kado 1.

ASSISTS - HC: Justine Reeber 2, Erin Rowse 2, Heather Bryce 1. UC Davis: Leslie Kado 2, Liz Collett 1, Jaime Fitzpatrick 1, Kate Hanson 1, Stacy Sugarman 1.

GOALIES - HC: Kellaigh Malangone 8 saves, 10 goals (66:00). UC Davis: Kristen Braasch 7 saves, 11 goals (66:00).