Fitchburg State Falls To WPI In Season Opener, 2-1 (OT)

Roma nets lone goal for Falcons midway through the second stanza

WORCESTER, Mass. (September 1, 2011) – Freshman Libby Richardson (Uxbridge, Mass.) connected for her first collegiate goal to lift the WPI Engineers to a 2-1 overtime victory over the Fitchburg State field hockey team in non-conference action this afternoon.

After a scoreless first half, Fitchburg State dented the scoreboard with just under 13 minutes left in regulation when senior Mari Roma (Foxborough, Mass./Foxborough) knocked home a loose ball from the right side at the 57:21 mark. WPI countered however, answering immediately with a perfectly executed penalty corner just two minutes later. Danielle Antonellis (Duxbury, Mass.) knotted the score for the Engineers, burying home a shot after a feed from Maggie Wigley (Bridgewater, Mass.) and a stick stop from Paige Hanson (East Hartford, Conn).

The Falcons increased their tempo over the final ten minutes of regulation, taking three of the final four shots but WPI's net-minder, Liz Dufresne (Worcester, Mass.) recorded a pair of saves to force an overtime period.

In the extra frame, both teams came out gunning, receiving several shots on net. Fitchburg State saw the period's only penalty corner but could not convert early, while WPI's Wiggly found Richardson down the right side to set up the thrilling game-winning goal.

Between the pipes, senior Taylor Begin (Haverhill, Mass./Haverhill) and sophomore Rachel Mays (Somerset, Mass./Somerset) split time in goal, making a combined five saves for the contest, while Dufresne registered ten saves in the win for the Engineers.

Fitchburg State (0-1, 0-0 LEC) will be back in action this Saturday as it opens its 2011 home slate with a match vs. Anna Maria at 12 p.m. WPI (1-0, 0-0 NEWMAC) closes out its brief season-opening two-game home stand on Saturday as its hosts Lasell at 1pm. 

WPI 2, Fitchburg State1 (OT)