Muller Scores Game Winner
HAVERFORD, Pa. -- Swarthmore sophomore Abbe Muller scored the game winning goal in overtime to have the Garnet beat Haverford with final score 17-16 in Centennial Conference women's lacrosse action on a sunny Saturday afternoon at the Class of '88 Field.
Despite Haverford knotting the score at 16-16 to send the game into overtime it was Muller (West Hartford, Conn. / Conrad) who picked up the game-winning goal to end the game.
Garnet freshman Amy Vachal (Somerset, N.J. / Rutgers Prep) (pictured right) recorded her seventh hat trick of the season while scoring four goals and handing out two assists. Senior midfielder Abbie Fischer (Sudbury, Mass. / Lincoln-Sudbury) scored a season-high three goals to record the second hat trick for the Garnet for the day.
Fischer got the ball rolling for the Garnet when scored her first of three goals at 26:54 to even the score at 1-1 off a free position. Following another goal by the Fords, Muller and junior attack Marissa Schaffer scored back-to-back goals for the Garnet. Vachal started her scoring surge with back-to-back goals making the score 5-3 in favor of the Garnet. Swarthmore midfielder Anna de Regt ’09 (Redmond, Wash. / Overlake School) received a pass from senior Megan Sanborn (Lewiston, N.Y. / Nichols School) pushed the Garnet lead to three goals (6-3). Vachal completed her hat trick with 7:33 remaining on the clock to make the score 5-7.
Haverford scored the final goal in the first half trailing the Garnet 7-6. Swarthmore collected 15 ground balls and had seven successful clears in the first.
Fischer took advantage of a feed from Vachal to score the first of a total 19 goals from both sides to make the score 8-6. Swarthmore first year Emily Evans (Atlanta, Ga. / North Springs) scored two goals in a two minute span to send the Garnet in double-digits scoring (10-7).
Haverford swung into the lead following a six goal run making the score 13-11.
Schaffer scored her 29th goal of the season off a free position before sophomore Alex Gilbert-Bono (Wellesley, Mass. / St. Mark's) brought the Garnet within one with 11:02 remaining. Fischer completed her hat trick off a pass from Schaffer to push the score to 13-14 in favor of the Fords. Vachal netted her 39th career goal to knot the score at 14-14 before Sanborn pushed the Garnet ahead off a free position. With four minutes remaining on the clock Gilbert-Bono scored a goal to send the Garnet ahead again by one goal.
Haverford scored the final goal in regulation to send the game into overtime with both teams scoring 16 goals. Muller ended the game with an unassisted goal 2:36 minutes into the overtime period.
Senior net minder Susannah Blair (Princeton, N.J. / Princeton Day) played the between the posts for the Garnet stopping 14 shots.
Swarthmore wrapped up their 2008 season with an overall record of 6-11 and finished 2-7 in Centennial play. The Garnet will graduate three seniors and will look to contend for the Centennial Conference champions in 2009.
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