A golden goal by junior back Loes Stijntjes (Steenokkerzeel, Belgium/Heilig Hartcollege) sealed the James Madison field hockey team’s come-from-behind 3-2 overtime victory against VCU at Cary Street Field in Richmond, Virginia, on Friday afternoon.
This marks the Dukes’ fourth overtime game in 2014 and their third victory by a golden goal this season as they improved to 6-1 overall. The Rams dropped to 1-6 on the year.
With less than two minutes to play in the first overtime period, freshman forward Hannah Hall (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) drove the ball toward the attacking circle before dropping it back to an approaching Stijntjes. Stijntjes then dribbled around the left side of the circle and past a defender before her game-winning shot found the corner of the cage for the 3-2 win.
JMU outshot VCU 19-5 overall, including a 6-1 advantage in the overtime period. The Dukes also earned 14 penalty corners compared to the Rams’ four overall with a 5-0 edge during overtime.
Senior goalkeeper Hannah George (Virginia Beach, Va./Kellam) tallied the win (5-1) while Kendall Clifton earned the loss (1-6).
VCU struck first in the game as Alexis Albright tipped a corner shot into the high right corner for the first tally of the game and a 1-0 lead for the Rams with 18:00 to play in the first half.
JMU held possession of the ball for much of the final 18 minutes of the first stanza, earning three of its four first-half corners and taking five shots. Officials waived off the game-tying goal following the Dukes’ third corner of the afternoon, leaving the Rams with a 1-0 lead heading into the locker room.
Less than five minutes after halftime, JMU tied the game at 1-1 as the Dukes earned a corner and converted off a straight shot by redshirt-junior midfielder Taylor West (Princess Anne, Md./Pocomoke), assisted by junior midfielder Adrienne le Vatte (Port Elizabeth, South Africa) and senior back Dana Allaband (Elkton, Md./Rising Sun).
The Rams regained the lead with a tally in the 52nd minute of play. Kendall Combs came in hard from the left side and drove the ball into the lower right corner to post a 2-1 lead for the Rams.
The Dukes, however, capitalized on another corner four minutes later to tie the game at 2-2. Allaband squared up to accept the pass in from le Vatte and dropped it off to West who fired straight past the goalkeeper.
Just before the end of regulation, VCU earned a penalty corner and the final shot of regulation. With no time remaining on the clock, the Rams fired in a shot from the left top of the circle, but the JMU defense swarmed and was able to clear the ball, sending the game into extra time.
JMU returns to action on Sunday, Sept. 28 at No. 19 Old Dominion. Action begins at L.R. Hill Sports Complex in Norfolk, Va., at 1 p.m.
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