University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Temple
Spiders Top Temple In Overtime Thriller
04/13/2008 | Women's Lacrosse
April 13, 2008
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Senior Claire Cunniff scored the game-winning goal with just 34 seconds to play in the first overtime period to lift Richmond over Temple, 11-10. Junior Mandy Friend led the Spiders in their fifth Atlantic 10 conference win with a hat trick and an assist for four points. With the win Richmond takes over the number one spot in the A-10 as the only undefeated team in the conference.
Only seven goals were scored in the first half of play, four for the Spiders and three for Temple. Temple's Hillary Richards started the day's scoring off with a goal just over two minutes into play off an assist from sister, Whitney Richards.
Just one minute later, Mandy Friend put Richmond on the board for the first time of the day off a free position shot.
The Spiders put in two more goals to get a two goal cushion on Temple, including one from defender Erin Kennedy who got in on the attack for her fourth goal of the season off an assist from Friend. Jenna Hubbard also capitalized on her free position shot for the Spiders' third goal.
The next ten minutes went by scoreless for both teams before Temple ended the drought with its second goal of the day. Brittney Hoffman hit the back of the net off an assist from Berkley Summerlin. Hoffman finished the game with two goals.
The Owls held the ball on their attacking end for the majority of the half, allowing the Spiders just seven shots. Allison Furstenburg took advantage of having the ball notching her first of the day with just less than five minutes to play in the first half. Furstenburg finished with two goals and assist for three points.
Temple's Andrea Desabato notched one more goal before the end of the half; bring the Owls within one at intermission.
The beginning of the second half was all Owls as they put in four unanswered goals to get a head of the Spiders, 7-4 with 21:52 remaining in regulation.
Freshman attacker Jules Nicola ended the Temple run with two straight goals of her own. Nicola hit the net with 17:16 to play off an assist from Furstenburg to bring Richmond back within two. Then with her second notch of the day, just five minutes later, off a helper from Cunniff, put the Spiders one goal closer.
Temple's Whitney Richards answered with her own two goal run, to put the Owls back up by three with just over seven minutes left in regulation.
Less than three minutes later, the Spiders sparked a come back run with three goals in under two minutes. Mandy Friend started it off taking the ball herself and hitting the upper right corner for her second goal of the game.
Just thirty-seconds later, Furstenburg got involved with an unassisted goal of her own. Friend then scored her third goal of the day with just over three minutes to play to tie the game at nine.
Two minutes later, Richmond was put back on its heels once again as Temple's Chelsea Rosiek scored off a free-position to put the Owls up, 10-9.
With just over thirty-seconds to play, a Temple foul sent A-10 Rookie of the Week Anne Ryan to the eight-meter. Ryan zoomed the ball past Temple's Bridget McMullan to tie the game at ten sending Richmond into overtime.
After the first three minutes of overtime, the score remained 10-10. Both teams struggled to get quality shots off until Claire Cunniff took an isolation, beating three Temple defenders to put the Spiders up, 11-10 with just over thirty seconds to play in the first overtime period.
Cunniff continued to carry the Spiders picking up the next draw control giving Richmond possession and the win over conference-rival Temple.
The Spiders now stand alone in first place in the A-10 as the only undefeated team. Richmond will finish up its regular season next week. George Washington is the first stop for the Spiders Wednesday, April 16 for a 4 p.m. ET game; then the Spiders return to First Market Stadium for their senior day to host Saint Joseph's Sunday, April 20 at 12 p.m. ET.
