Cobras Defeat Belmont Abbey in Double Overtime Thriller

By: Jake Miller

HARTSVILLE, S.C.- Coker women's lacrosse triumphed in a 9-8 double overtime win over visiting Belmont Abbey on Saturday night (Apr. 1).

After defense controlled the first 17 minutes of the first half, Marabeth Durden found the back of the net to break the scoreless tie for the Navy and Gold. The Crusaders responded with a pair of goals over the next six minutes, before Mackenzie Baker found Durden through a crowd to tie the game at two apiece. Belmont Abbey scored with 2:18 left in the half and appeared to be headed to the break with the lead, before Karah Huntsinger scored with 26 seconds left in the frame to send the game to the half knotted at three.

The Crusaders would strike 1:36 into the second half for a 4-3 lead, before consecutive goals from Kent and a free position goal from Claudia Jenkins put the home team up 6-4 10 minutes in. Neither team trailed by more than two in the contest, as Belmont Abbey stormed back and scored two goals six seconds apart to knot the game up yet again just one minute later. Kent scored with 13 minutes left in the half, before the visitors responded with two goals that put Coker down 7-6 with 6:35 remaining. Just over a minute passed before Kent found Baker who tied the game at seven. The teams played the final few minutes very defensively before heading to overtime.

The first overtime period was scoreless with few chances between the two sides. The second three-minute period lasted just 36 seconds before Haley McCusker's first goal of the night ended the game and gave Coker the wild win. McCusker's marker was her team-best and conference-best 48^th tally of the season.

Kent lead the Coker scoring effort with a hat trick and also dished out one assist. Durden found the back of the net twice and added one assist, while Baker, Huntsinger, McCusker and Jenkins each scored once. Coker scooped up 12 ground balls as a team, with Kent and Lindsay Ordemann each collecting two. The Cobras also won nine draw controls, a team-high three credited to Ordemann. Cassie Williams (9-3) made nine saves in the win.

Coker (9-3, 4-1 SAC) will take on Tusculum at home next Saturday (Apr. 8) with opening draw scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

McDonald's Player of the Game- Cassie Williams