CRESSON, Pa. — The Mount Aloysius women's lacrosse team battled through steady rain, momentum swings and a dramatic finish Wednesday evening, ultimately settling for a 10-10 tie with Allegheny after lightning halted overtime just 1:20 into the extra period at Mount Aloysius.
With rain falling throughout much of the day and the field slick from the weather, the Mounties delivered an energetic performance in a game that featured several lead changes and a late rally from both sides.
Mount Aloysius struck first when Isabella Panichelle (Butler, Pa., Butler) finished a feed from Jordan Turner (Grampian, Pa., Curwensville) at the 12:31 mark of the opening quarter to put the Mounties on the board. Later in the period, Alannah McNichol (Bellefonte, Pa, Bellefonte) connected with Cassidy Cook (Glen Burnie, Md., North County) for another Mounties goal to give Mount Aloysius a 2-0 advantage before the visitors responded late in the frame.
The Mounties regained control in the second quarter. Chelsea Stout (Grand Blanc, Mich., Grand Blanc) scored on a woman-up opportunity off a pass from Cook midway through the period, and after the visitors tied the game at 3-3, Mount Aloysius answered just 10 seconds later as Cook finished a pass from Shelby Smeal (Altoona, Pa., Altoona) to restore the lead heading into halftime.
Mount Aloysius carried that momentum into the third quarter. Stout struck again off an assist from Sara Borlie (Kennett Square, Pa., Unionville), and Cook followed with a woman-up goal to extend the lead. Stout added another highlight shortly after, scoring while the Mounties were a player down to give Mount Aloysius its largest lead of the afternoon at 7-3.
The visitors mounted a strong fourth-quarter comeback, scoring five goals in the opening minutes of the period to take their first lead of the game.
The Mounties responded behind Cook and Borlie. Borlie evened the score at 8-8 with 10:20 remaining off another Cook assist, and after the visitors briefly reclaimed the lead, Panichelle scored off a pass from McNichol with just over two minutes left to tie the game once more.
Mount Aloysius then surged ahead in dramatic fashion when Cook scored unassisted with 56 seconds remaining, giving the Mounties a 10-9 advantage and sending the home sideline into celebration.
But the visitors answered with just eight seconds left on a woman-up opportunity to force overtime.
Both teams returned to the rain-soaked field for the extra session, but after 1:20 of overtime, heavy rain intensified and lightning struck nearby. Following a brief discussion, both teams and officials agreed to end the contest, resulting in a 10-10 tie.
Cook led the Mounties offensively with three goals and three assists, while Stout recorded a hat trick. Panichelle added two goals, and Borlie, McNichol and Cook each contributed key assists in the back-and-forth contest.
Despite the challenging weather conditions, the Mounties showcased resilience throughout the afternoon, twice reclaiming the lead in the final minutes before the storm ultimately brought the thrilling match-up to an early close, marking the first tie in program history.
