NASHUA, NH – Freshman Kayla Royer (Greene, Maine) scored 8:14 into the second overtime to lift Saint Joseph's (6-2, 3-1 NAC) past Rivier University (1-8, 0-4 NAC), 4-3, in a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) field hockey contest on Sunday afternoon.
Royer netted her first collegiate goal in dramatic fashion, beating Rivier keeper Makenzie Flagg (Shirley, Mass.) on a well-executed penalty corner for the winner. Rachelle Messuri (Atkinson, N.H.) and Carley Denis (Lewiston, Maine), who took the corner in bounds, were both credited with assists on the play.
Rivier senior Ashley Ruocco (East Kingston, NH) scored two first half goals as the Raiders held a 2-1 advantage at the horn. Ruocco netted her first goal after senior Kristen Tyler (Thornton, NH) threaded a pass through a pair of SJC defenders at the 4:53 mark. The duo would reconnect later in the half (31:42 mark) as Ruocco took the pass from Tyler and dribbled around Monks starting keeper Emily Gallant (Rumford, Maine).
The visitors scored their first-half goal eight minutes later when Denis knocked home a rebound in front of the Rivier cage.
The Monks would tie the game and take the lead in the second half. Brittany Locke (Waterville, Maine) hammered home a shot from the 16 in the 49th minute off a corner with assists going to Theresa Hendrix (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus) and Elizabeth Andersen (Cumberland, Maine).
Messuri went on to provide the Monks with their first lead of the afternoon when she scored on a penalty corner at the 56-minute mark. Denis tapped the ball into Messuri, who lifted a shot up and over a diving Flagg, and was awarded an assist on the score.
Trailing by a goal, Rivier would mount a tremendous push inside the final minute. Tyler took a shot from inside the 16 and the rebound fell on the stick of Breanna Budyrk (Tewksbury, Mass.), who put the ball into the wide open cage to tie the game at three-apiece with just 21.7 seconds remaining in regulation.
Saint Joseph's was awarded a penalty stroke when Flagg left the cage and covered the ball three minutes into the first OT frame, but the Rivier keeper swallowed up the shot taken by Messuri to preserve the stalemate.
Flagg finished the game with 20 saves as the Monks outshot the Raiders by a whopping 31-4 margin. SJC senior goalkeeper Taylor Allison (Pawtucket, R.I.) earned the win in relief after coming off the bench and made one save in 59:55 between the pipes.
With the result, Saint Joseph's improves to 4-0 in the history of the series with Rivier University. None of the first three contests were close, as the Monks outscored the Raiders by a 23-2 margin in the trio of contests.
Saint Joseph's returns to action on Tuesday when Endicott College comes to Standish for a non-conference tilt slated to start at 3:30 PM. Rivier hosts Bay Path College on Tuesday at 7:00 PM.
Saint Joseph's College, founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, celebrates its Centennial year in 2012 with a theme of "Realize the Promise" – honoring our commitment to educating well-rounded graduates who combine career focus with classic liberal arts studies. A Private, Catholic, primarily residential, coeducational liberal arts institution, Saint Joseph's welcomes students of all ages and all faiths. The campus, located 18 miles northwest of Portland and just two hours from Boston, encompasses 350 acres along the shore of beautiful Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine. Enrollment ranges between 1,000 and 1,100 students annually. Saint Joseph's offers challenging academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education, nursing and business fields in a value-centered environment.
