Field Hockey: Big Red's streak of OT victories comes to an end

Playing in their third overtime contest in as many days, Bellarmine University snapped Denison's two-game winning streak with a sudden victory goal in the 74th minute, sending DU to a 4-3 loss against the NCAA Division II school from Louisville, Ky.

On Friday, the Big Red stopped Earlham College in overtime, and yesterday, Denison and DePauw nearly played out the string, going 98 minutes before DU found the back of the cage for the game-winner.

On Sunday, what had to be a fatigued Big Red squad, took a 1-0 lead late in the first half when senior Molly McCue (Gibsonia, Pa./Aquinas Academy) scored after a shot by teammate Kelsey Flowers (Darien, Conn./Darien) was saved by Bellarmine goalie Katie Lange.

After the Denison goal, the Knights rebounded with a pair of goals to open the second half of play.  The Big Red would knot the score at 2-2 when first-year Meg Cronin (Blue Bell, Pa./Springside) tallied her first career goal in the 49th minute.

With time winding down, Bellarmine would take a 3-2 lead off a goal from Ellen West but Denison would not go quietly.  With only 1:16 left in regulation, Flowers would send a shot off Lange's padding and into the cage, tying the match at 3-3.

That would be the final shot attempt for both teams in the second half and on the first shot of the overtime period, Bellarmine's Cassie Dalrymple secured the victory for her team off an assist from West.

Denison was outshot by the Knights, 15-8 and the home team took eight penalty corners compared to just five for the Big Red.  DU goalie Brittany Benson (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) had six saves while Lange posted three saves for Bellarmine.

DU falls to 5-4 overall and will take a much needed break from competition, returning to the field on Saturday (Sept. 26) when they host The College of Wooster at 11 a.m.