Box Score POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (March 28, 2015) – Vassar outscored William Smith 4-1 in the second half, while senior goalkeeper Kate Pula (Washington Township, NJ/Immaculate Heart Academy) finished with 10 saves as the Brewers earned a 9-8 victory over the Herons Saturday afternoon.
Sophomore Brittany Botticelli (Commack, NY/Commack) notched her second consecutive hat trick, while freshman Storm Sideleau finished with two goals to help pace VC to the comeback win on a snowy afternoon at Weinberg Field. Senior Jackie Palma (Manhasset, NY/Manhasset Junior-Senior) tied her season-highs in both caused turnovers (5) and groundballs (6) to help limit the Herons to just one goal in the second half. VC improves to 3-3 on the season and 1-1 in the Liberty League with the win, while William Smith drops to 3-5 (1-1 LL).
Down 7-5 to start the second half, the Brewers went on a four-goal scoring streak to swing the momentum back in their favor. Botticelli got VC going at the 23:46 mark, coming around the corner of the cage to bury a shot from the near left side. Less than a minute later, Sideleau converted her second free position shot of the day to tie the game 7-7.
Sophomore Phoebe Hankins (Belvedere, CA/San Francisco University) made her only shot of the afternoon count, scoring an unassisted goal with 20:53 remaining to put VC back ahead 8-7. Junior Kim Mulvehill put away the eventual game-winner with 12:30 left in regulation, scoring her 11th of the season to give the Brewers a 9-7 advantage.
William Smith was able to pull within one at the 7:09 mark, as Geneva Calder netted her game-high fourth goal of the day to make it 9-8. That was all Pula would allow for the rest of the game, saving both of the Herons' final two attempts on cage to preserve the one-goal victory.
Vassar did its best to hold the ball and chew up the clock in the closing minutes, but turnovers gave the visitors a few more possessions to try and tie the game. William Smith had one last chance in the final seconds, but a turnover put the ball in the stick of Palma and the senior defender ran out the clock to deliver VC its first Liberty League win of the year.
The first half saw both sides score in bunches to start, as VC raced out to 3-0 lead on goals from Botticelli, Sideleau and freshman Julia O'Mara (Severna Park, MD/Severna Park). The Herons came storming back, scoring three unanswered goals to the tie the game at three.
The teams traded goals again before sophomore Julia Trudell (Newtown, CT/Newtown) scored a woman-up goal for VC to regain the lead at the 8:30 mark in the first. William Smith went on a 3-0 run to end the half, and carried a two-goal lead into the break.
Vassar was opportunistic on its free position chances, scoring a season-best five free position goals on nine shots. The Herons converted just one of seven free position shots in the game.
The Brewers will be back at it next weekend for a pair of Liberty League games, starting first with RPI on April 3 in Troy, NY.
Notes:
Senior Jackie Palma is now third all-time in caused turnovers in program history, passing Emily Learner ('05) and Liz Pacheco ('10), who both finished their careers with 75. Palma has racked up 78 caused turnovers in the burgundy and gray, and is quickly approaching Emile Moeckel's ('05) school record of 86.
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