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Swits, Matos propel Saints field hockey team to wild 5-4 win over Rochester

Posted 9/24/11

The St. Lawrence University field hockey team opened the 2011 Liberty League schedule in style on Friday night, as the Saints knocked off the University of Rochester by the score of 5-4 in strokes at …

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Swits, Matos propel Saints field hockey team to wild 5-4 win over Rochester

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The St. Lawrence University field hockey team opened the 2011 Liberty League schedule in style on Friday night, as the Saints knocked off the University of Rochester by the score of 5-4 in strokes at Hall-Leet Stadium. Senior Erika Swits scored twice and added a goal in the shootout, while sophomore Nicole Matos matched her career-high with 19 saves plus two more in strokes.

The win moves the Scarlet and Brown to 4-3 on the year, while the Yellowjackets fall to 6-2 despite battling back three times in the game. Junior Ashley Ferenczy continued her strong offensive efforts with three assists, while her sister, Ali, made fantastic defensive plays throughout the overtime period to help her team to victory.

"That was certainly a crucial win for us," said St. Lawrence head coach Fran Grembowicz, whose team was outshot 35-33 but owned a 13-7 advantage in the overtime sessions. "We had several great chances throughout the game to add to our leads, but their goalie did an excellent job of taking away the passing lanes."

Matos made one of the best saves in her career with under 2:00 minutes to play in double overtime on a split pad stop on Allison Beardsley. However, her counterpart, Madison Wagner, was very impressive on her end of the field as well, turning in 17 saves.

Senior Emily Riley put the home team on top 1-0 only 4:31 into the game, as she took a pass from Ashley Ferenczy and beat Wagner with a low shot inside the left post. Rochester would rally and score twice in a span of 5:51, though, and take a 2-1 lead. After Megan Keil deflected a ball past Matos, Anna Dobrzynski tapped a rebound into the cage at 19:58 of the first half. Shelby Hall and Beardsley earned assists on the goals.

St. Lawrence would rally with back-to-back goals to close the first half and head to intermission with a 3-2 cushion. Swits tied the game at 2-2 off a corner, as she took a pass from fellow classmate Julia Croyle and snuck the pall inside the near post for her third goal of the season. Riley then capped the first half scoring at 28:15 as she rifled a quick shot off a centering pass from Ashley Ferenczy for her sixth goal of the season and a one-goal lead.

Rochester would tie the score at 3-3 a mere 4:05 into the second half when Hall got into the scoring, but the Saints came right back, as Swits deflected a pass from Ashley Ferenczy behind Wagner at 46:12 for a 4-3 lead. The Yellowjackets would level the game at 4-4 nearly 10:00 minutes later when Dobrzynski scored her second goal of the game, deflecting a shot from Beardsley up and over Matos for her 11th goal of the year.

Both teams had numerous chances to end the game, including a total of 14 penalty corners between the two teams. However, Matos and Wagner played fantastic during the 7-vs-7 overtime session, leading to penalty strokes.

After Matos made a diving save to her right on Beardsley to open the 5-on-5 shootout, Riley put the Saints on top with a lofted shot under the crossbar. Matos then robbed Dobrzynski, allowing her team to take a 2-0 lead when Swits converted her chance. Though Rochester's Lindsey Randall and St. Lawrence's Courtney Cartier would exchange goals, Darragh Kerr's lofted shot sailed wide of the cage, allowing St. Lawrence to celebrate a dramatic 5-4 win in strokes.

The Saints finished with a 22-16 advantage in penalty corners, including a 9-3 edge in the first half.

St. Lawrence will look to carry momentum over into Saturday when the team hosts nationally-ranked No. 18 William Smith at 2:00pm.