Courtney Peterson's OT Game-Winner Gives FH Win Over Wesleyan

Courtney Peterson's OT Game-Winner Gives FH Win Over Wesleyan

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. --- First-year Courtney Peterson scored the game-winning goal in overtime as the Wellesley College field hockey team picked up a 1-0 win over host Wesleyan on Wednesday evening. The win lifts the Blue to 4-1, while the Cardinals fall to 0-2.

It was the 11th time in 24 all-time meetings between the two colleges that it took overtime to decide the outcome, the last coming in 2007 when Wesleyan escaped with a 2-1 triumph in Middletown. 

Wellesley got the golden goal 5:39 into overtime as Peterson took a pass from junior Lallie Lukens on a slight angle to the left during a two-on-one break, and pushed a shot past Wesleyan sophomore goalie Sara Grundy from 10 yards out for a 1-0 victory. 


The goal was the fourth of the season for Peterson as she tied for the team lead with classmate Nikki Sharkin. It also put Peterson in the team lead for points with 10 on four goals and two assists. Lukens, with her third assist of the season, is now tied for second on the Blue in points with nine (3-3-9).

The game was relatively even statistically as the Cardinals held a slim 10-9 edge in total shots while Wesleyan also had the advantage in penalty corner, 12-9. Many of the corners came in bunches as Wesleyan had four in a row during a span of 2:30 in the first half.  In the second half, Wellesley generated three corners in a brief period of 1:30.  

Both goalies, Grundy for Wesleyan and senior Brit Mscisz for Wellesley, came up big throughout the contest with some important stops as Grundy finished with six saves and Mscisz with five.

Wellesley now leads the overall series, 14-9-1, but Wesleyan has captured five of the last nine outings.

Ahead for Wesleyan is another home contest against a non-conference NEWMAC squad, Babson, Fri., Sept. 13. Wellesley returns to action Tues. Sept. 17, facing its third straight NESCAC foe in non-conference play with a home game against Trinity at 4:30pm.



Thanks to David Peterson for the video!