BETHLEHEM, Pa. - As the story for much of the season has been, the La Salle field hockey squad used a late game spark to come from behind and topple Lehigh 3-2 in the final regular season game of 2014. The Explorers connected three times in the final 5:50 of play to erase a 2-0 deficit, fueled by two
Devin Muracco goals and the game winner from
Kendall Kreider with 25 seconds remaining in regulation.
The squad finishes up the 2014 season with an 11-7 overall record, marking the best overall record since joining the Atlantic 10 in the 1995 season. The Explorers, who were picked in the preseason poll to finish eighth out of nine teams, wrapped up A-10 play on Friday with a 5-3 record to finish fifth in the league standings.
The Explorers spotted the Mountain Hawks (4-14) two first-half goals, with Lehigh's Marissa Glatt connecting just 43 seconds into the game. Natalie Tacka added a second goal on a Glatt assist off of a penalty corner at 23:56 to put the home squad up 2-0.
Despite a number of chances, the Explorers could not solve Mountain Hawk keeper Julia Ward (4 saves) along with a number of shots that sailed wide. That changed in the 65th minute, when Muracco drained a goal at 64:10 to put the Explorers on the board. She took a long pass from
Olivia Leaman, and maneuvered around Ward for the first goal. Muracco tied up the game 4:30 later, taking a free hit herself into the circle and firing it into the cage to knot the game at 2-2 with 1:20 remaining.
The Explorers were not satisfied to settle for going into overtime. They ramped up shot production, with
Colleen Kempf able to pick up a rebound off of a flurry of shots and chip it over to Kreider, who sank the game winner with 69:35 on the clock. The score was Kreider's team-leading fourth game-winning goal of the season, as the rookie scored her eighth goal of the season to move into the team scoring lead. Time expired before Lehigh could attempt to respond.
Lehigh outshot La Salle 17-13 for the game and the Explorers edged the home squad on penalty corners, 6-5.
Rachel Hartman wraps up the season with a stellar .810 save percentage after recording eight more saves today. Ward stopped four shots in the loss.
