Vetter scored a pair of goals, including the 100th of her career, tonight. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

Rattigan nets gamewinner with 3:35 remaining in second overtime

EASTON, Mass. (March 29, 2017) – The University of New Haven, ranked No. 12 in this week's Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) and Nike/US Lacrosse Magazine Division II polls, erased a three goal deficit with 13-minutes remaining in regulation to force overtime and then scored with 35-seconds remaining in the first half of the second overtime session to claim a 12-11 double-overtime triumph over Stonehill College, ranked 19^th in the IWLCA poll, in Northeast-10 Conference women's lacrosse action tonight on Timothy J. Coughlin '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium.

Freshman Hailey Rattigan (Hicksville, New York/Holy Trinity) scored a free-position goal with 3:35 remaining in the second overtime to clinch the win as New Haven scored four unanswered goals to claim the comeback win. Rattigan finished with two goals for the Chargers, while postgrad Kendall Cietek (Guilderland, New York/Guilderland) led the way with five goals, including the final three of regulation for the visitors to force overtime. Sophomore Mackenzie Reh (Medford, New York/Patchogue Medford) added three points with two goals and an assist with three ground balls, three caused turnovers and a draw control, while junior Jessica Mazliah (Holbrook, New York/Sachem North) dished out three assists.

Freshman Erica Rinsky (North Caldwell, New Jersey/West Essex) kept New Haven in the game with ten saves over the final 51:51 and earn the win in relief. Stonehill finished with a 24-19 edge in shots and a 16-11 advantage for draw controls, including 12-4 in the first half when it built as much as a four goal lead. Freshman Bailey Grant (Chelmsford, Massachusetts/Chelmsford) made her first collegiate start in goal for Stonehill and recorded five stops with a ground ball.

Freshman MacKenzie Pleshaw (Franklin, Massachusetts/Franklin) paced the Stonehill attack with three goals and an assist for four points, with three ground balls, three draw controls and a caused turnover. Senior Elizabeth Vetter (Great River, New York/East Islip) added two goals, including the 100^th of her career, three draw controls, two ground balls and a caused turnover. Junior Taylor Shannahan (Mendham, New Jersey/Morris Catholic) and freshman Kaitlin Healey (Westwood, Massachusetts/Westwood) each chipped in with a pair of goals, while Shannahan collected four draws and Healey added three with two ground balls and a caused turnover.

Pleshaw led the Skyhawks with three goals and an assist. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

Rattigan's gamewinning goal with 3:35 remaining in the second overtime capped a four goal run for New Haven to keep their unbeaten start to the year intact. The Chargers trailed by three (11-8) for the fourth time in the contest after Pleshaw's third goal of the game and 13^th of the season with 13:06 to play. Cietek netted three straight Charger goals to force overtime, including a pair 1:10 apart to knot the score at 11 with 4:44 remaining.

New Haven had a free-position attempt with 19-seconds to play and elected to maintain possession, but senior Caitlin O'Brien's (Branford, Connecticut/Branford) shot with six seconds to play caromed off the left post before the second half came to a close. Rinsky and Grant both had saves in the first half of the first overtime session, but Rinsky came up big with a stop on a Shannahan free-position shot with four seconds left to send the game into a second overtime.

Stonehill won the opening draw in the second extra period and Pleshaw earned a free-position attempt, but Rinsky made the save on her shot 18-seconds in. She made two more saves in the first three minutes of the second overtime leading up to Rattigan's winner.

Stonehill erased an early two goal deficit with a 7-1 run, including a string of six straight goals to open a 7-3 lead after Pleshaw set up a goal from senior Kiki Ryan (Salem, Connecticut/East Lyme) with 13:26 left in the first half. Shannahan had two goals during that run, while Pleshaw contributed a goal and an assist.

New Haven scored four of the final five goals to draw back within a marker (8-7) at halftime, capped by back to back goals by sophomore Samantha Galler (Marshfield, Massachusetts/Marshfield) and Rattigan in the last 47-seconds of the frame. The lone Stonehill goal in that run was Vetter's 100^th career goal in her 63^rd career game with 3:01 left in the half. The Skyhawks scored three of the first four goals of the second half, including a pair from Pleshaw, to restore a three goal cushion before New Haven etched its final comeback effort.

Stonehill (4-4, 3-2 NE10) is back in action on Saturday when it visits No. 3-ranked Le Moyne College for an NE10 matchup at 11 a.m. The Skyhawks return home on Saturday, April 8, to host American International College at 1 p.m. New Haven (6-0, 4-0 NE10) visits Franklin Pierce University on Saturday at 7:15 p.m.

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