Bradford, PA -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford was back in action at home on Tuesday, as it hosted Mount Aloysius in a pivotal AMCC matchup. The Panthers fell behind 7-2 in the first half but scored 7 of 8 in the second half to win 9-8.
The Panthers jumped in front after nearly two minutes of action when Addison Molampy beat her defender with a spin move at the top of the zone, ran to the crease, and beat the goalie with a shot into the top netting. The visitors struck back immediately, taking possession of the draw and tying the score 12 seconds later. The Mounties continued to pressure the Pitt-Bradford goal for the remainder of the period, scoring 4 more goals. They converted a pair of free position shots and then closed the quarter with two more from open play.
Olivia Garcia opened the scoring in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 3. Molampy leared the ball from the defensive end and transitioned into attack. She beat the defense to the goal with pace and then lofted a short pass to Garcia next to the net for the easy finish. Both teams were kept off the board for the next 7 minutes until the visitors tacked on to their lead with a goal at the 6-minute mark. They added another while a man up with 2:42 left in the quarter to take a 7-2 lead into the break.
In the 2nd half, the Panthers found the net first, scoring 104 seconds after the restart. Following a blocked shot on the defensive end, the Panthers cleared the ball into attack, but Isabella Edward's pass was deflected near the midline. Molampy picked up the ground ball at top speed and sprinted through the middle of the defense until she was able to beat the goalie from close range, doubling her tally. Three minutes later, Molampy turned provider again, drawing in multiple Mount Aloysius defenders, and then dropped a pass to GArcia who converted from just outside the crease. Mount Aloysius slowed the rally with a goal at the 4:$6 mark, but the Panthers finished the period on the front foot, scoring two times in the final 3 and a half minutes of the quarter. With a Mountie player in the penalty box, the Panthers took advantage of the man-up situation, and Molampy dropped a pass to Christina Abel on the left flank, who moved to the front of the goal and beat the keeper to the bottom left corner. She added another with 30 seconds left in the quarter. Abel gathered a loose ball near the corner and sprinted towards the goal. She got to the penalty spot and ripped a shot back against the grain into the far post for her 2nd of the game.
Trailing 6-8 heading into the 4th, the situation seemed dire for the Panthers, and it got worse when a green card put Molampy in the box with 10:23 left. Despite being shot a player, Pitt-Bradford cut the lead to one as Samantha Burke caught a pass on the right wing and sprinted past two defenders to get to the goal, where she placed a shot into the net for her first of the game. After Lily Thuman kept the deficit at one with two saves and some help from the bar, the Panthers tied the game at 8 with 4:40 on the clock. Samantha Burke drew a penalty and then a free position shot, which she converted to tie the game and double her tally.
Following an unforced error by the Mounties, the Panthers moved possession into the final third with a chance to win the game. Samantha Burke had the first effort at goal but missed the target; however thePanthers won the runout to keep possession. Christina Abel possessed the ball on the left wing and outmaneuvered her defender before sprinting to the goal. As another defender rushed to stop her, Abel bounced a shot past the goalie and into the net to put the Panthers in front with just over a minute remaining. Mount Aloysius won the resulting draw, but Burke was able to sprint back defensively and force a turnover that was picked up by Harley Ficek. The Panthers withstood heavy pressure from the Mounties two times but were able to gather the loose ball and drew a penalty on the Mounties with 8 seconds remaining. The Panthers failed to clear the ball one final time; however, their turnover was with too little time left, and the buzzers sounded moments later, securing the 9-8 victory.
Christina Abel led Pitt-Bradford with 3 goals on 8 shots, including the game winner. She also gathered 7 ground balls and controlled 3 draws. Addison Molampy scored two goals and tallied 2 assists for Pitt-Bradford. Samantha Burke and Olivia Garcia each scored twice in the win. Lily Thuman made 9 saves in the Panther goal.
Pitt-Bradford moves to 8-5 on the season with a 2-0 mark in AMCC play after the win. They will be back in action this weekend, when they host Hilbert for another AMCC tilt. Opening draw is set for 1:00 p.m. at Rathburn Family Field.
