MILTON, Mass.- Senior forward Laura Lydon (Riverside, RI) scored the gamewinner in double overtime with just 39 seconds left to play to defeat New England College 3-2 on Saturday in Milton. With the win the Colonels improve to 8-4 overall and 6-2 in The Commonwealth Coast Conference. The Pilgrims fell to 5-8-1 overall and 2-5-1 in the TCCC.
Curry College was the first to get on the board just three minutes into the game when senior Emily Keeman (Whitman, MA) sent a through ball to freshman Brittney McLaughlin (Wilmington, MA). This was McLaughlin’s fifth goal of the season. New England College tied the game at 24:03 when freshman Jillian Zanine (Bethel, CT) scored off a cross from freshman Kristen Walker (Franklin, MA). The Pilgrims took the lead 11 minutes later when freshman Alyssa Wilkie (Saugus, MA) got a breakaway and placed the ball in the lower left corner of the net past Curry’s sophomore goalkeeper Samantha Hardy(Pepperell, MA). The Colonels took 24 shots in the first half, landing 12. Solid play by New England’s goalkeeper freshman Erin Palma (Saratoga Springs, NY) kept the Pilgrims ahead by one heading into half time.
Curry continued to outshoot the Pilgrims adding on another 16 shots, but it wasn’t until the 80th minute that the Colonels would tie the game. Senior Fallon Harrison (Tolland, CT) dribbled past two Pilgrim defenders before scoring on Palma. New England had a chance to take the lead with just minutes left in regulation when Wilkie got control of the ball and beat Curry’s junior defender Jaimee Fligg (Osterville, MA) for her second breakaway on the day, but Hardy came out to challenge and made the save. The Pilgrims had just 14 shots in 90 minutes while the Colonels tallied 40.
The two teams traded shots in the first overtime each taking two, but the score remained tied to force the game into another 10 minute sudden death OT. Curry had possession of the ball for most of the second overtime and with just 39 seconds left to play, Lydon took a shot outside the 18-yard box that went in for the win.
The Colonels outshot the Pilgrims 51-17.
Palma had a solid game in net making 22 saves in the loss. Hardy earned her eighth win of the season making 12 saves.
The Colonels will travel to Endicott College on Wednesday, October 13 for a 3:30 p.m. contest. NEC hosts Eastern Nazarene, October 13 for a 3:30 p.m. game start.
