Field Hockey
#2 Messiah 3, #1 Lebanon Valley 2 (OT)

Box Score

ANNVILLE, Pa. - The match-up of the nation's top two field hockey teams lived up the hype as #2 Messiah's Kourney Ehly scored 7:08 into overtime to upset #1 Lebanon Valley, 3-2, on Wednesday.

The top-ranked Dutchmen (14-1) suffered their first loss of the season in a back-and-forth thriller of a game that saw them take an early lead and hold it into the second half.

The Falcons (12-2) benefited from 16 penalty corners, scoring twice in regulation off them.

Jocelyn Novak put the home team up 12:21 in with her 99th career goal, collecting a rebounded Shelly Lobach shot off Kayleigh Stewart's pads and slamming it home.

Playing in front of a large home crowd, LVC held the lead until Julie Barton leveled at 48:55, blasting Amber Good's corner injection from the arc, but Cait Eckenrode retook the lead for Lebanon Valley when she put back Kelsey Miller's rebound six minutes later.

Brooke Sands equalized once again for the visitors, tipping Barton's shot at 56:08. The Dutchmen were handed a late opportunity when Good had to sit the final 4:52 of regulation with a yellow card, but shots by Allison Bicher and Jocelyn Novak couldn't find the mark.

In overtime, LVC had two good early chances by Caitlin Vasey and Lobach, but the tide turned towards Messiah as they drew four consecutive penalty corners before winning on Ehly's goal off a right-side cross from Barton.

Shots were an even 16-16, but Messiah led 16-9 on corners. Christine Poletti made a career-high nine saves in the loss; Stewart stopped six and Gina Kellett had a defensive save for Messiah.

LVC will visit Alvernia on Saturday night.