April 1, 2009
Box Score
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sophomore midfielder Katrina Nietsch (New Canaan, Conn.) erupted for three goals in a three-minute, 10-second span midway through the second half to send the Navy women's lacrosse team (7-3, 3-1 PL) to a hard-fought 8-6 road victory at American (2-9, 1-4 PL) on a rainy Wednesday afternoon at Jacobs Field.
The win is Navy's fourth-straight on the road and improves the team's record to 3-1 in Patriot League play and 7-3 overall. Meanwhile, with the loss the Eagles' postseason aspirations are dealt a major blow, as they fall to 1-4 in conference and 2-9 on the season.
"This was a great win for us," said Navy head coach Cindy Timchal. "I was proud of the way we battled today. American is a strong and feisty group. They came in needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive and they really threw everything they had at us.
"We didn't panic when they opened up the second half strong and then Katrina really took over. Once she starts playing with confidence like that - she becomes very difficult to contain."
Nietsch led all players on the afternoon with three goals, including the game-winner, an assist and four ground balls. Junior Erin Rawlick (Forest Hill, Md.) added a goal and two assists, freshman Madison Bell (Baltimore, Md.) chipped in with a goal in each half and sophomore Caitlin Mandrin Hill (Annapolis, Md.) finished with one goal and one assist to her credit.
After American took a 1-0 lead after 10:41 of scoreless play to open the contest, Rawlick put the Mids on the board and evened the score on an impressive individual effort from behind the cage at the 15:19 mark.
More than 10 minutes would elapse before the game's next score as junior Mary Ruttum (Annapolis, Md.) lifted the Mids out in front, 2-1, off a Nietsch feed from the eight-meter arc with 4:57 left to play in the half.
American had a chance to tie things up in the closing minutes, but Navy's freshman goalie Elaina Ponchione (Silver Spring, Md.), who played exceptionally well throughout the contest, turned away a free position attempt at 2:04.
The Mids would then capitalize on the late-save as Mandrin Hill found Baltimore native and rookie standout Madison Bell streaking to the cage for a score with just 15 ticks left on the clock.
Bell's tally capped a 3-0 Navy run to end the half and sent the Mids into the break carrying a 3-1 lead and a great deal of momentum after a frenetic, but low-scoring first 30 minutes.
The Eagles would open the second half with three unanswered tallies, the last of which put the hosts ahead, 4-3, with 17:33 remaining in regulation.
With the rain starting to pick up and the hosts starting to play with more and more confidence, the Mids needed someone to step up and quell the American run. Almost immediately, Nietsch would answer the call.
Just 42 seconds after the Eagles had forged ahead, the New Canaan, Conn. native completed a solo run down the right flank and fired a rocket into the back of the cage to square things away at 4-4.
She struck again on a free position at the 14:00 mark to give the Mids lead for good and completed her 11th career hat trick some 19 ticks later, putting Navy in front 6-4 with 13:41 remaining on the clock.
Bell would add a tally at 12:49 to cap Navy's 4-0 spurt and give the stout Midshipmen defense all the cushion it would need en route to the 8-6 victory.
On the final stat sheet, Navy held slim advantages in shots (18-15), ground balls (12-10), draws (8-5) and turnovers (15-16).
"I thought we settled down and were smart with the ball throughout the second half. We only committed two turnovers in the final 30 minutes after having 13 in the first half. I was also very proud of our effort on the defensive end. We were aggressive, remained discipline and really limited their top scoring options."
In the cage for the Mids, Ponchione was once again terrific, making six saves and picking up her seventh collegiate win.
"Elaina came up huge for us once again as she has much of the spring," added Timchal. "She made a number of key stops on some shots in-close and from eight-meters. She certainly doesn't play like a freshman out there."
The Mids return to Annapolis on Saturday to begin a four-game homestand against Davidson (5-6). Navy will look to avenge a 15-10 road loss suffered at the hands of the Wildcats last spring.
Notes: Rawlick extended her consecutive goal-scoring streak to 27 games, the eighth-longest active streak in the nation ... Navy has now won two of its three meetings against American ... the two meetings between the teams a year ago were decided by a combined three goals.
## GO NAVY! ##
