Box Score SCRANTON, Pa. – Sophomore Elle Collins (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris Central) scored the game-winning goal just 23 seconds into the first overtime period and The University of Scranton field hockey team (18-1) picked up a 3-2 come-from-behind win over the Ursinus Bears (13-6) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday evening at Weiss Field in Scranton.
Collins took a feed from classmate Katie Redding (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) across the goal mouth and tipped home the game-winner at the far post to complete the comeback and give the Royals the first NCAA Tournament victory in program history.
The Royals advance to play Washington & Lee in second round action on Saturday at Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J with action getting underway at 2 p.m.
This is the third all-time appearance in the tournament for Scranton following 1997 and 2019.
Collins' game winner comes just a week after Redding scored the golden goal 23 seconds into overtime in the Landmark Conference semifinal victory over Susquehanna.
Ursinus took an early 2-0 lead with a pair of goals off of penalty corners in the first eight minutes of the game as Maeve Montgomery scored in the fifth minute and Devon Carroll scored in the eighth minute. Scranton nearly got on the board in the 11th minute as Lauren Weaver tallied a defensive save for the Bears to keep the game 2-0 for the time being. Junior goalie Clare Maguire (Oreland, Pa./Mount Saint Joseph Academy) registered a couple of key saves for the Royals in the early stages of the second quarter and a goal from senior Shaelin de Wit (New Tripoli, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) in the 23rd minute cut the lead in half to make it 2-1. de Wit was able to tip home a loose ball for her fourth goal of the season after an initial shot from freshman Reagan Dolan (Broomall, Pa./Bonner & Prendergast) rang off the post. In the final minute of the half, Redding hit the post with a shot as the Bears took the 2-1 lead into the half.
The Royals controlled play for much of the third quarter and had a couple of opportunities off of penalty corners. On the final play of the quarter with no time left on the clock, de Wit was able to tip home a shot from fellow senior Allie Benadon (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) following a corner for her second goal of the game and a tie contest at two. In the fourth quarter, the post unfortunately struck again for the hosts as Redding's shot clang away in the 57th minute. Ursinus had their final chance of the day with two penalty corners in the final 1:03 of regulation, but the lone shot they managed was blocked to send the game to the extra session.
The Bears started with the ball in overtime, but Scranton quickly gained possession and Redding dribbled down the left side of the field before finding her way into the circle and feeding Collins for the game-winner.
Stay tuned to athletics.scranton.edu later in the week for a full preview of Saturday's game.
--ROYALS--
