NORFOLK, Va. – Tess Meurling scored with 2:02 remaining in overtime to lift the Old Dominion women's lacrosse team to a 13-12 win over conference foe East Carolina on Sunday afternoon at the L.R. Hill Sports Complex. Sunday's victory was the Monarch's first in American Athletic Conference play.
"It was a really fun game today," head coach Heather Holt said. "Our team was focused and determined to win – they believed! We had amazing energy and followed the game plan from start to finish. I am so proud of our team and all their efforts today. I asked a lot from some new players, and they all stepped up and never wavered. This team has heart, and I couldn't be more proud to be a Monarch!"
Meurling scooped up a loose ball to the right of the Pirates' goal before firing a tight-angle shot to beat Ashley Vernon and win the game for ODU (3-6, 1-1 American). The goal was the third of the season for Meurling. The sophomore from Apex, North Carolina added an assist as well for a career-high two points.
The Monarchs jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead behind goals from Haley O'Connor, Lilly Siskind and Danielle Dundas. O'Connor opened the scoring after just 36 seconds when she netted her ninth of the season off a pass from Siskind. Siskind then scored an unassisted goal at the 28:00 mark before Meurling connected with Dundas two-and-a-half minutes later. Dundas scored twice on Sunday for her second multi-goal outing of the season.
A Preseason All-American Athletic Conference Team member, Siskind posted a game- and career-high five goals and added an assist for a six-point outing. The native of West Chester, Pennsylvania now has 19 goals and 27 points on the year, both single-season highs.
ECU (3-5, 1-1) scored its first goal of the game with 23:27 left in the half. From there, the two sides traded scores until Siskind netted her second of the day to make it a 5-2 game with 20:22 left on the clock. Nicole LeGar scored a woman-up goal with 13:27 remaining to spark a 4-0 run to give the Pirates their first lead of the contest.
That lead was short-lived as Caroline Shaefer found the back of the net 26 seconds after ECU went ahead to knot the score at 6-6. Olivia Tanneberger netted her fourth goal of the season at the 7:35 mark to put ODU back on top 7-6, but that would be the final goal of the half for the Monarchs as the Pirates closed out the period on 3-0 run.
The first goal of the second half also went to the Pirates to make it a 4-0 scoring run across both halves. Frances Kimel set up Elizabeth Wilson at the 26:35 mark to give ECU its largest lead of the game at 10-7.
Old Dominion responded with a trio of woman-up goals, including a pair from Siskind, to level the score at 10-10 with 21:25. In total, Sunday's game featured six ties and four lead changes.
Ally Stanton restored the lead for ECU with an unassisted marker with a woman advantage at the 16:32 mark. O'Connor scored her second of the day at the 14:50 mark before Siskind finished off a Katie McGrain pass to put the Monarchs on top 12-11 with 11:04 left in regulation.
ODU's defense worked hard to keep control of the lead. In the nine minutes after Siskind's go-ahead marker, the Monarchs forced a pair of turnovers and saw Sabrina Leatherwood make a trio of saves. However, a yellow card at the 3:22 mark was too much to overcome, and LeGar scored with 2:07 left on the clock to tie the score at 12-all. Madison Corcoran forced an ECU turnover just inside the two-minute mark to make possible a shot from O'Connor that hit the post just 30 seconds before the end of regulation.
The overtime period was the Monarchs to control. ODU outshot the Pirates 3-0 and forced a turnover on ECU's lone possession of the frame.
For the game, Old Dominion held a 31-25 edge in total shots. The Monarchs were dominant on draw controls, winning 68 percent (19 of 28) of the game's draws, including both in overtime. Shaefer led all players with seven draw controls. Dundas added five, and Brooke Ferringer had four.
Lauren Carey shared the game high with three ground balls and caused one turnover. Corcoran caused a contest-high three turnovers, the most in a game this season for the Preseason All-Conference honoree.
Leatherwood played the final 34:27 in goal for the Monarchs and made five saves in a winning effort. Vernon made 10 stops for the Pirates.
The Monarchs wrap up an 11-game homestand with a pair of conference games against Temple on Friday, March 26 and Sunday, March 28.
Meurling’s OT Goal Gives Women’s Lacrosse First AAC Win, 13-12 over East Carolina
