BRIDGEWATER, Va. (BC Athletics) – The Bridgewater College field hockey team defeated Eastern 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday evening.

Score: Bridgewater 3, Eastern 2 (OT)
Records: Bridgewater 7-4, Eastern 7-4

How It Happened
• Bridgewater had a scoring chance in the opening two minutes. BC fired a pair of shots off the penalty corner, but Lexi Francis and Mollie Best each had their shot turned away. Bridgewater kept pushing as Maylynn Watson had a pair of shots knocked away by the EU goalie. The home team finally broke through as Mollie Best buried her shot from in tight for her first tally of the season and gave BC a 1-0 lead. Eastern quickly flipped the field and earned a corner of its own. BC blocked EU’s initial shot attempt, but the visitors earned another. Eastern cashed in on the second chance as Caldini found the back of the net to make it a tie game. EU had two more penalty corners in the closing stages of the frame, but a save by Rachel Adel kept the game tied after the opening period.
• Eastern earned another penalty corner in the opening minute of the second quarter. Adel made another stop, but two minutes later EU had another opportunity. Summa had her first shot blocked, but she buried her second attempt moments later to make it a 2-1 Eastern lead. Bridgewater responded immediately. Off a penalty corner, Natalie Stokc took the pass and rolled to the right and ripped a shot to the near post, past the EU goalie to level the game at 2-2. Bridgewater kept rolling offensively, but a pair of shots by M. Best tagged the frame and missed wide to keep the game level at 2-2 at the break.
• Bridgewater had a pair of penalty corners in the opening three minutes of the second half. M. Best had her shot blocked, and Francis had an attempt turned away. BC looked to capitalize on an Eastern yellow card, but couldn’t break through. M. Best and Francis each had another shot miss the target during the man-advantage. BC had a penalty corner in the closing stages, and Stock fired a shot that missed just wide to keep the game knotted after three periods of play.
• BC opened the fourth quarter firing. Reese Davis, M. Best, Casey Grell and Watson all had shots turned away by the Eastern netminder in the opening 1:46 of the quarter. Kylie Parker rifled a pair of shots midway through the frame, but the game remained tied. Bridgewater continued to control the pace of play in the closing stages of regulation with three penalty corners in the final five minutes. Francis, Olivia Best and Stock all fired shots during the offensive onslaught, but none of them found the back of the net as EU stood tall and forced overtime.
• Bridgewater had the opening chances of overtime. M. Best was in tight, but a pair of diving saves by Catania kept the game going. Eastern had a chance of its own during the third minute of the extra frame, but a save by Thaleia Khader kept the game going. Bridgewater flipped the field, and Francis got to within feet of the goal. She was taken down by the EU defense, awarding BC a penalty stroke. Parker took it and buried the shot to the lower right of the crease to give the Eagles the win.

Game Notes
• M. Best, Stock and Parker had the three tallies for the Eagles. M. Best fired a game-high 11 shots with five of them on target. Adel made a pair of saves, while Kahder had one stop in the second half and overtime.
• Caldini and Summa had the goals for Eastern. The duo each had a pair of shots on target. Catania made 14 saves for EU.
• BC held a healthy 31-7 edge in shots and a 17-5 advantage in shots on target.

Up Next
The Eagles continue a homestand on Saturday against Lynchburg at noon.

— BC Athletics —