| 17 | 15 |
| Penn State Lacrosse Field | University Park | |
| STATISTICS | ||||
| F | |||
| STAN | 9 | 6 | 15 | |
| PSU | 5 | 12 | 17 |
| SHOTS | 1 | 2 |
OT -->FSTAN1610- -->26PSU1021- -->31
| SAVES | 1 | 2 |
OT -->FSTAN25- -->7PSU34- -->8
| GBs | 1 | 2 |
OT -->FSTAN112- -->13PSU710- -->17
| DRAWS | 1 | 2 |
OT -->FSTAN711- -->18PSU88- -->16
March 24, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The 15th-ranked Nittany Lion women's lacrosse team used a 10-3 run in the final 18 minutes of action to defeat No. 9 Stanford, 17-15, Tuesday afternoon at Penn State Lacrosse Field. Four Nittany Lions registered hat tricks and Maggie McCormick (Eldersburg, Md.) became the program's all-time leading assist leader.
"Stanford is really, really good," said head coach Missy Doherty. "I think they're probably the best team we've played this month. To come up with this, I think the girls really needed it, and it was a great way to kind of end this really hard stretch that we've had."
Katie O'Donnell (West Chester, Pa.) had a career-high three goals and her goal total was matched by Tatum Coffey (Toms River, N.J.), Steph Lazo (Stevensville, Md.) and Jenna Mosketti (Fallston, Md.). McCormick dished four assists along with a goal for a game-high five points.
Madison Cyr (Westminster, Md.) scored two times with an assist and Coffey pitched in with a helper for a four-point day and forcing four crucial turnovers down the stretch. Goalkeeper Emi Smith (Denver, Colo.) came in for the final 18 minutes of the game, saving four shots including two free-position efforts, to keep the Nittany Lion momentum rolling.
Down 12-7 with 18 minutes to go, Penn State (7-3, 0-0 Big Ten) looked to be Stanford's (4-1, 1-0 MPSF) fifth straight victory. The Cardinal had their largest lead of the game and firm control of the action.
Nevertheless, Penn State freshman Maggie Gallagher (Bel Air, Md.) kickstarted the pivotal run that would give the Lions their first win over a top 10 foe this season, putting home McCormick's first feed of the day with 17:59 remaining and pulling PSU within 12-8.
Coffey followed up with a free-position goal at 16:17 before Stanford's Elizabeth Cusick responded two minutes later to keep it a four-goal game at 13-8.
Abby Smucker (Bel Air, Md.) scored along the left crease before Lazo's laser dinged off both posts, ruled a goal by the officials on the field at 9:40 and Stanford holding a 13-11 lead.
The Cardinal's Kyle Fraser scored the fourth and final goal of the evening at 7:29 to briefly stem the tide, but back-to-back goals by Coffey at 6:57 and O'Donnell at 6:16 brought PSU within one, 14-13.
Stanford's Kelly Myers scored with 4:41 remaining on a Rachel Ozer pass from behind the cage to double the lead, 15-13, but that would be the final Cardinal goal.
O'Donnell answered 46 seconds later, knifing through the Stanford defense for her first collegiate hat trick. Then the tying goal, a beautiful one-timer by Mosketti, her 16th of the year, from McCormick's record-breaking assist with 2:41 remaining.
Off the ensuing draw, Lazo drew a foul and an eight-meter chance, connecting on her third of the day for Penn State's first lead of the afternoon with 2:21 to play. The Nittany Lions won the ensuing draw and Cyr put home her third goal, from McCormick, with 58 seconds left as Cardinal goalie Allie DaCar (7 saves) vacated their net in pursuit of the ball.
Mosketti was vital down the stretch finishing with six draw controls and a pair of caused turnovers to fuel Penn State's run. The Nittany Lions out-shot Stanford 21-10 in the second half and trailed 9-5 after the opening 30 minutes.
PSU held advantages in shots (31-26) and ground balls (17-13), while Stanford has 16 turnovers, nine of which came in the second half. Penn State had 10 turnovers, only two of which came down the stretch.
Penn State returns to action on Saturday for its first Big Ten tilt at Rutgers. Game time is set for 1 p.m. with a live broadcast on Big Ten Network.