GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Guilford College women's lacrosse team (7-7, 2-4 ODAC) survived a back-and-forth thriller Saturday afternoon, defeating Eastern Mennonite University (1-12, 1-6 ODAC) 13-12 in overtime at Appenzeller Field.
Marlene Nusraty (Damascus, Md.) earned the victory in the crease, recording six saves on the afternoon. On the opposite side of the field, Alyssa Hunter kept the Royals in the contest with seven saves across 61 minutes of action.
The Royals were led by Ava Walker, who contributed four points on three goals and an assist. Kaylene Todd and Ava Schwartz both added a trio of goals to Eastern Mennonite's tally.
Guilford's offense was fueled by a stellar performance from
Emma Garland (Hampstead, N.C.), who netted six goals.
Carm DeFeo (Shelton, Conn.) added a hat trick, while
Hannah McMasters (Browns Summit, N.C.) provided the decisive spark with two goals and a team-high three assists.
Kylie Wood (Greensboro, N.C.) and
Emily Parker (Lillington, N.C.) rounded out the scoring with one goal apiece.
Defensively,
Leyla Strong (Concord, N.C.) and DeFeo led the effort with two caused turnovers each.
The first quarter was a mirror image of competitive play, with both sides refusing to yield. Garland ignited the Quakers early with back-to-back goals assisted by
Kaylee Carr (Plant City, Fla.), but the Royals responded, finalizing the frame in a 3-3 tie.
In the second quarter, goals from Wood, DeFeo, and McMasters helped the Quakers maintain a slim lead, but Eastern Mennonite's Todd converted a late free-position shot to keep the score knotted at 7-6 entering the break.
After weathering a late surge from the Royals, the Quakers found their footing in the final minutes of the third quarter. Parker and Garland both found the back of the net to pull Guilford even at 9-9 heading into the final frame.
Eastern Mennonite powered their way to a two-goal lead in the fourth quarter, but DeFeo and Garland answered with swift goals in the final minutes to force overtime, 12-12.
In the extra period, McMasters secured the win and sent the home crowd into a frenzy, carving through the defense for a sudden-victory strike to clinch the 13-12 triumph.
Guilford will look to carry this momentum on the road as they travel to Sweet Briar College on Tuesday, April 14th, for their final away game of the regular season. The opening draw is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
#GoQuakes
