Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Mikayla Demanche scored on a free position shot with 13 seconds remaining in overtime to give American International an 11-10 win over the No. 20-ranked Saint Anselm College women's lacrosse team on Friday night at Abdow Field.
Demanche's goal was her seventh of the season and second of the game for American International (5-1, 1-0 NE-10). Saint Anselm (1-1, 0-1 NE-10) held a 9-5 advantage early in the second half before the Yellow Jackets rattled off five consecutive goals to go ahead 10-9.
Trailing for the first time on the night, the Hawks got a free position goal from Erica Mattila, her second of the game, with 4:26 remaining. Mattila's goal was the final goal of regulation after the Hawks controlled the ball for the final 3:19 in search of the game-winning goal.
Saint Anselm won the draw control to start overtime but each team committed a turnover early in the extra session. Caitlin Villareal shot high on the only shot of overtime before Demanche's late winner.
Villareal scored four goals, Erin Marshall added three, Mattila had two and Marta Versprille had another for Saint Anselm. Marshall also snagged a game-high seven ground balls. Michelle Kudlate added a pair of assists for the Hawks, who outshot the Yellow Jackets 20-21 in the game, including 16-9 in the first half.
Goals by Versprille, Mattila and Villareal inside the opening five minutes gave Saint Anselm an early 3-0 lead. American International got within one midway through the first half with back-to-back goals only for the Hawks to reclaim a three-goal lead at 5-2. The Yellow Jackets netted the final two goals to go to the half down 6-5.
A Villareal goal and two from Marshall in the space of less than four minutes to start the second half put the Hawks ahead 9-5, the largest lead of the night. However, Cheyenne Carden scored three of her five goals to bring AIC within one and the hosts took their first lead at 10-9 with 6:10 to go on one of Jessica Lawler's two goals.
Alexis Torosian picked up the win for AIC by making nine saves, while Jane Bunn suffered the loss despite making seven stops for Saint Anselm.
The Hawks held a 19-18 advantage in ground balls and committed fewer turnovers (17-15) in the game, while the Yellow Jackets held a slim 12-11 edge in draw controls. AIC was 6-for-10 on free position shots compared to 4-for-6 for Saint Anselm.
Next up for Saint Anselm is a matchup at Southern New Hampshire on Tuesday, March 22 at 7 p.m.
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