LISLE, Ill. – It was a back-and-forth affair Saturday afternoon on the campus of Benedictine University, but the Kalamazoo College women's lacrosse team had the final say in a game that needed overtime to find its winner.
Anika Sproull needed just 34 seconds in the overtime period to find the back of the net and give Kalamazoo a 9-8 win, its first win of the 2016 season.
Despite outshooting the Eagles 15-5 in the first half of play, Kalamazoo found itself down 4-2 at the half. Anna Dairaghi and Sproull recorded a goal apiece in the first half.
Continuing to apply pressure like they did in the first half, the Hornets efforts were finally rewarded in the second half as Kalamazoo scored four straight goals taking a 6-4 lead with 17:46 remaining.
But the Eagles didn't go away. Three straight goals from Benedictine forced a Hornets' timeout with 9:12 to play as the team trailed 7-6.
After trading a pair of goals and the Eagles leading 8-7, Vethania Stavropoulos leveled the score with 3:29 to play setting up the dramatic overtime win.
On attack, Sproull led the charge with four goals while Dairaghi and Lily Talmers added two apiece.
Cecilia DiFranco led the Hornets with two assists, while Katie Johnson came up with six big saves for Kalamazoo down the stretch including a free position save with five second remaining in regulation.
Nicole Huff picked up a team-high three ground balls.
Kalamazoo will take a two week break from competition before resuming the 2016 season on the road at Claremont-M-S on March 20.