March 30, 2008
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The Saint Joseph's (6-4, 1-1 Atlantic 10) women's lacrosse team succumbed to numerous St. Bonaventure (1-7, 0-2 Atlantic 10) comebacks, but Jenna Martino saved the day, scoring the sudden death overtime game winner to give the Hawks a 10-9 victory on Sunday. It was the second straight game in which Martino scored the game winner in overtime and it was her second of the game. Saint Joseph's senior Lindsey-Kate McCool dished six assists and Christina Colangelo scored four goals to lead the Hawks.
In a rough and tumble game that saw 65 foul calls and six yellow cards, a late body ball foul on Bonnie goalkeeper Eboni Preston led to the Hawks game winner with 43 seconds remaining in the first sudden death interval.
SJU's Abby Renninger fired a shot that Preston saved. On the ensuing clearing attempt, Preston received the ball outside of her crease and had her stick checked by Jessica Westlake. Westlake picked up the ground ball and fired a shot on net while Preston was out of position. Preston saved it with her leg, but was called for a body ball for being outside of her crease.
Saint Joseph's received the ball outside of the fan and Renninger found Martino cutting to the net on the right hand side and Martino rifled home the game winner. It was Martino's second goal of the game, the team leader with 28 goals on the season, but she was kept off the scoreboard until late in the second half. Renninger tallied two goals and an assist for a three-point day.
The Hawks blew three separate three-goal leads to the Bonnies, who fought back in the second half and controlled most of play. SJU held St. Bonaventure to just one goal in the first half, taking a seemingly commanding 4-1 lead. In addition to that, the Hawks out-hustled the Bonnies 15-9 on ground balls and in shots (17-9).
Colangelo connected on three straight goals in that first period, two goals were assisted by McCool and the other came on a free position shot. On the other side of the field, the Bonnies had a one-two punch of their own in Kimberly Ross and Brenna Houghton. Ross accounted for seven points on three goals and four assists while Houghton tallied three goals and two assists for five points. The duo mounted five different goals in which they both either scored or assisted the scoring plays.
Ross started the comeback for the Bonnies assisting on a Christine Hanley goal, while scoring one of her own to cut the deficit to 4-3. SJU responded with two goals of their own from Renninger and Courtney McManama off two McCool assists.
After the two teams traded goals again, SBU scored five of the next seven goals including the last two by Ross assisted by Houghton. Ross tied the game with 54 seconds in the second half to send it to overtime.
In the overtimes, SJU out-shot St. Bonaventure 11-3, picked up three ground balls while SBU found none. Preston came up big for the Bonnies with six saves in overtime. The Hawks' Suzy Herlihy made 10 saves in the game.
Saint Joseph's will travel north to New Jersey and take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. before returning to Finnesey Field to take on Atlantic 10 foe, La Salle on Sunday at noon.
