Nov. 9, 2002

Box Score | MAC Women's Field Hockey Tournament Page

OXFORD, Ohio - In the second double-overtime game of the Mid-American Conference Field Hockey tournament, the Ohio University Bobcats advanced to the championship game with an exciting 3-2 victory over top-seeded Louisville. The Bobcats battled back after being down 2-1 late in the second half to earn their third straight MAC championship game appearance.

Ohio junior Elizabeth Holtzman, who was an all-MAC second-team selection, gave the Bobcats an early 1-0 lead when she chipped a rebounded shot into the goal at 16:21 in the first half. The goal, her ninth of the season, staked the Bobcats with an advantage that last throughout the remainder of the first stanza.

However, the Cardinals fought back with goals from junior Olivia Netzler and senior Pip Sanders, both all-MAC selections. Netzler, a second-team honoree, scored UL's first goal at 1:57 when Sanders fed her the ball on the far post on a penalty corner. One of three MAC Players of the Year, Sanders gave the Cardinals a 2-1 lead when she hit a beautiful reverse-stick strike into the back of the cage from about 10 yards out.

Just like they did a day before, the Bobcats never quit fighting as they made several rushes at the Louisville goal in the waning moments of the period. It wasn't until the 34:50 mark, however, that freshman Lindsay Rothenberger deflected the game-tying goal into the cage with only 10 ticks left in regulation. Creating the Rothenberger goal and credited with the assist was first-team all-MAC selection senior Andrea Voros.

Sanders and the Cardinals shifted the momentum some time midway through the first overtime as they rattled off four consecutive penalty corners. On each corner Sanders managed to get off a shot, and twice she narrowly missed ending the game by hitting the post. On the opposite end of the field junior Christy Hershey stopped five Ohio shots that would have also ended the game.

The Bobcats resisted four more Louisville corners in the second overtime, as their goalie, sophomore Ashley Pitkin, recorded four saves in the extra frame. Senior Jenn Watt finally put an end the game, and avoided going to penalty strokes, by scoring her second goal of the season with only 2:30 left in the overtime period. Watt scored the game-winner by gathering up her own rebound and chipping it over a sprawled out Hershey.

With the top seed out of the tournament, the Ohio Bobcats (12-9) compete for the MAC title tomorrow afternoon against Kent State at 1 p.m. Louisville (13-8) heads home with six all-conference selections.