Bradford, PA -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford women's lacrosse team hosted the program's first-ever postseason game on Tuesday night as the Panthers took on the third-seeded Mount Aloysius Mounties in the AMCC Championship Tournament Semifinal. After a slow start, the Panthers fell behind 4-1 but came back to win 8-7, scoring 4 goals in the fourth quarter.
The teams exchanged possession for the first 10 minutes of play as both defenses and goalkeepers stood firm and kept the game scoreless. Lily Thuman made three early saves, but the visitors finally broke through with 5:20 left in the first. After the draw, the Panthers killed off a penalty and then evened the score half a minute later. After a Mountie turnover, the Panthers counterattacked and moved into the offensive zone. Addison Molampy picked up a ground ball just inside the offensive half and then beat her defender and shot past the goalie at the near post. Thuman made one more save after a free position shot, sending the game to the second quarter tied at 1.
The Panthers committed a penalty in the final seconds of the quarter, and the Mounties took advantage after the restart, scoring from a free position shot just 20 seconds into the quarter. The Panthers killed off the rest of the penalty, but then gave the visitors another free position shot with 12 minutes left in the half, which they converted to take a 3-1 lead. Mount Aloysius continued to push after the restart and scored their fourth goal less than 30 seconds later. Pitt-Bradford settled down after the 4th goal and limited the Moutnies to just four more shots on goal in the half, all of which were saved by Thuman. With 2:27 remaining in the half, Zennette Zigler cut the lead in half. Following a pair of missed free-position attempts, Zigler received a pass at the top of the zone, darted into the middle of the defense, and whipped a shot into the top half of the net to put the Panthers down 4-2 at halftime.
Pitt-Bradford continued to roll after the break, scoring two goals in the first 4 minutes of the half to tie the game at 4. With 12:30 left in the quarter, Christina Abel had a shot saved near the crease, but also drew a foul on Mount Aloysius, resulting in a free-position shot. Abel took the attempt and converted on a low shot to the far corner. A minute later, Samantha Burke tied the game. Burke possessed the ball behind the net and sprinted to the left. She released a no-look backhanded shot that bounced under the goalie's stick and found the corner for the Panthers' 4th. Mount Aloysius called a timeout after the equalizer and responded. They regained control of the game and scored two unanswered goals before the end of the quarter.
The Panthers maintained possession at the start of the final quarter and used it right away, cutting the lead in half after 40 seconds. Burke slipped through a double-team at the top of the zone and, before the defense could react, fired a shot into the top corner for her 2nd of the game. Two minutes later, Pitt-Bradford tied the game again. Zigler picked up a ground ball on the right flank and flipped a pass to Molampy at the top of the zone. As Haley Carlo cut to the goal, she pulled a Mount Aloysius defender with her, providing space to Olivia Garcia. Molampy passed Garcia the ball, and the junior attacker shot from low to high to beat the goalie at the near post.
With just over 10 minutes to go, Pitt-Bradford took its first lead of the game. Burke once again moved out from behind the goal, juked her defender to create some space, and bounced a shot into the goal for her third of the game, which put Pitt-Bradford ahead 7-6. The Panthers looked to add to their lead after a penalty put a Mountie in the box just after the draw, but the visitors responded, scoring a player down to tie the game. After Mount Aloysius nearly went back in front with a shot that hit the post, they committed a pair of yellow-card infractions, giving the Panthers a 2-player advantage for just over a minute. The Panthers were able to utilize the man-up situation and scored what would be the game-winner with 6:45 remaining. Moments after Molampy hit the post and Carlo had a shot saved, the Panthers caused a turnover on the Mounties and sprang back into attack. From behind the goal, Molampy picked out Garcia in the middle of the defense, who once again used a low, bouncing shot to score her 2nd of the game.
Over the final six minutes, the Panthers worked hard to maintain their lead, killing off a pair of one-minute penalties. After they attempted to run out the clock in the final minute, they put two more players in the box on a pair of offsides penalties. Despite being down two players, Pitt-Bradford was able to force a turnover after a shot missed wide, and ran out the clock to secure the win.
Samantha Burke led the Panthers with 3 goals on 6 shots. Olivia Garcia scored twice, including the game-winner. Garcia was crucial int he 4th quarter comeback, controlling the draw 3 times to keep possession with the Panthers. Addison Molampy scored once, but picked up a pair of assists. She also led the team with 5 ground balls. Christina Abel and Zennette Zigler also scored in the win. Lily Thuman made 12 saves for the Panthers, while also collecting a pair of groundballs.
The win moves Pitt-Bradford to 10-6 overall and gives them a spot in the AMCC Tournament Championship Game. They will take on top-seeded Alfred State on Saturday, as they look to secure a conference title in their inaugural season. Opening draw is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Alfred State's Pioneer Stadium.
