(Purchase, NY) – Just when it seemed like the Mount Saint Vincent Women's Lacrosse season was beginning to slip away, the young Dolphin team did everything on Tuesday to prove that they are very much alive and kicking … everything except win their Skyline Conference opener against Manhattanville College. After losing consecutive games to Babson and Vassar last week by a combined 22 goals, the Dolphins suited up Tuesday afternoon for their first ever Conference game against a Valiant team that on Saturday stunned the Skyline lacrosse world with an upset win over Stevens. And when halftime hit and Mount Saint Vincent trailed 6-3, the Dolphins seemed to be down and fading away.
However, an incredible second half comeback led to one of the most fantastic finishes of 2006 as the Mount not only overcame the deficit, but they also took a 10-9 lead with 1:32 remaining in regulation. Ultimately, Manhattanville tied the score in the final minute of regulation, and then emerged from a triple overtime battle with a 12-11 win. The loss drops Mount Saint Vincent to 3-5 having lost three straight games.
The game belonged to two Dolphin freshmen as attacker Ciara O'Donnell (Bethpage, NY/Kellenberg) scored a career-high four goals, while goalie Alexis Balingcongan (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove HS) made an incredible16 saves, many of which were of the spectacular variety. Two of O'Donnell's goals came during a 35 second span of the second half as the Mount erased an 8-5 deficit and trailed 8-7. Two minutes later, sophomore Chanel Comis (Durham, NC/Cardinal Gibbons) completed the comeback with a spectacular goal to tie the score.
Manhattanville took a 9-8 lead with 10:17 remaining, but goals by Cyndi Adams (Mechanicsville, MD/Chopticon HS) and Amanda Nadhir (Bloomfield Hills, MI/Marian) in a 1:09 span gave the Mount a 10-9 lead with just over a minute to play. After gaining the ball off the ensuing draw, a Mount Saint Vincent turnover gave Manhattanville a fast break, which the Valiants converted to tie the score and force the first two extra sessions. O'Donnell scored her fourth goal of the game during the first overtime to put the Mount ahead, but a late goal in the second overtime by the Valiants forced the sudden death third overtime. The Valiants ended things at 5:02 of the third overtime with a controversial free position goal.
While down, the Mount Saint Vincent team that saw all 11 goals scored by freshmen or sophomores is certainly not out. Besides O'Donnell's and Balingcongan's heroics, Comis and Nadhir each scored twice, while Adams scored a season-high three goals, doubling her season goal total to six.
Mount Saint Vincent returns to action on Thursday, April 6 when they travel to the College of New Jersey – the 2005 Division III National Champions – for a 7:30 p.m. game. The Lions are currently ranked #6 in the nation by the IWLCA.
