JMU field hockey drops double OT heartbreaker to Delaware, 6-5

Delaware scored the golden goal with just 2:19 left to play in the second overtime to bring the James Madison field hockey team’s comeback bid just short as the Dukes fell 6-5 in double overtime to the defending Colonial Athletic Association champion Blue Hens in both teams’  league opener on Friday night at the JMU Field Hockey Complex.

JMU fell to 6-3 overall and 0-1 in league play, the second straight loss for the Dukes and their fifth overtime game this season (3-2). Delaware improved to 6-5 and 1-0 against CAA teams.

Overtime was set up for the fifth time this season as the Dukes scored a pair of goals over the final 3:38 of regulation. After a called timeout and trailing by two (5-3) with the clock ticking down, junior forward Danni Wilson (Port Elizabeth, South Africa) came in hard from the right side and dialed a shot into the cage to cut JMU’s deficit to one at 5-4 with less than four minutes left to play. It was her first goal of the season.

On the whistle, hard play by both teams resulted in back-and-forth possessions between the Dukes and Blue Hens. With less than a minute left on the clock, junior midfielder Adrienne le Vatte (Port Elizabeth, South Africa/Alexander Road) secured the ball and fired in the game-tying goal. While the goal was originally waived off, the officials met and after a brief discussion, the goal was deemed good with 25 seconds left in regulation.

The Blue Hens’ Jacki Coveleski scored the winning goal in the 98th minute of play off a high shot into the left corner after picking up the quick right-side pass from Taylor Lister three meters inside the circle.

The teams drew even on penalty corners at 6-6. Delaware earned the 19-10 advantage in shots, including a 4-1 edge in the second overtime and led the Dukes 14-7 in shots-on-goal. JMU goalkeepers, however, combined for eight saves while the Blue Hens’ goalkeeper Fran Orella only made two saves en route to the win (6-5). Freshman Sara Kraeutler (Oakhurst, N.J./Ocean Township) tallied the loss for JMU, the first of her career (1-1).

Redshirt-junior midfielder Taylor West (Princess Anne, Md./Pocomoke) tied a game-high with four points, scoring one goal and assisting on two others. Her goal in the 33rd minute of play, a high lifted shot from the right side, tied the game at 2-2.

West assisted on senior forward Bethany Ashworth’s (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) goal just 11:02 into the game, a tipped-in pass from the left side, to create the first tie of the game (1-1). She also dropped off a corner pass to junior back Loes Stijntjes(Steenokkerzeel, Belgium/Heilig Hartcollege) in the 50th minute of action to pull the Dukes within one (4-3).

Prior to the game, the Dukes honored Lisa Milliken (JMU ’88), a former JMU field hockey player, as a part of their Breast Cancer Awareness game.

JMU returns to action on Sunday, Oct. 5 as the Dukes welcome Towson to Harrisonburg, Virginia for their second CAA contest of 2014. Play begins at 1 p.m. and will be broadcast live on MadiZONE HD SportsNet, presented by the JMU Alumni Association.