Worcester State Bests Field Hockey with 20 Seconds Left to Earn 2-1 Victory

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Elms College sophomore forward Tatiana Frizzell (Brattleboro, Vt.) tied the game at 1-1 with a goal at the 26:30 mark of the first period but Worcester State University used a goal by Ally Valencia (Foxboro, Mass.) on a penalty corner with just 20 seconds remaining to help seal a thrilling 2-1 victory for the Lancers in Saturday afternoon's non-conference field hockey game at Leary Field.

With the loss, Elms falls to 0-1 overall, while Worcester State starts its 2012 campaign 1-0.

Valencia put Worcester State on top in the first half, netting her first goal just nine minutes into the contest when she took a touch pass from Katelyn Abber (Dedham, Mass.) from 12 yards out and blasted the ball into the back of the net to give the Lancers an early advantage.

Frizzell knotted the game at 1-1 at the 26:30 mark when she picked up the rebound of a shot fired on target by sophomore forward Meghan Goodrow (Sunderland, Mass.) and found the cage following the ensuing scrum in front of the net to give the Blazers their first strike of the 2012 season.

The sides then played back and forth field hockey in the second half, with neither team finding the go-ahead score until late in the period. With 20 ticks on the clock, Worcester State earned its sixth penalty corner of the stanza and took advantage, as Katherine Bitters (Greenfield, Mass.) and Lindsay McGeary (Foxboro, Mass.) each assisted on Valencia's game-winning goal.

Lancers' goalkeeper Rebecca Mullen (Peabody, Mass.) turned away three of the four shots she faced to earn the win, while Blazers' senior goalkeeper Alexandra Bonavita (Agawam, Mass.) suffered the loss despite saving nine of 11 shots on goal.

Elms returns to non-league action on Wednesday, Sept. 5 when it hosts Western Connecticut State University at 7:00 p.m. at Leary Field.