JMU Rallies Past Drexel, 13-12 In Overtime To Capture Fourth Straight Women's Lacrosse Title
Hunter Peters
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HARRISONBURG, Va. (May 9, 2021) – Second-seeded James Madison defeated top-seeded Drexel 13-12 in overtime to win the program’s fourth consecutive Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Women’s Lacrosse Championship Sunday afternoon at Sentara Park on the campus of James Madison University.
Lizzy Fox netted the game-winning goal on a free position opportunity during the overtime period to end an instant-classic matchup in CAA Women’s Lacrosse.
JMU becomes the first team in league history to win four straight CAA Championships and it’s the program’s 13
th title overall, which also leads the conference. The Dukes improve to 11-4 with the victory and receive the conference’s automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA tournament. Drexel falls to 13-2 after the setback and awaits tonight’s NCAA Tournament selection show for a potential at-large bid.
Molly Dougherty, the tournament’s Most Outstanding Performer, held the top scoring offense in the CAA to just 12 goals in the game, which tied Drexel’s season-low. Dougherty posted a .571 save percentage and recorded a season-best 16 saves in the game marking her seventh performance this season with double-digit saves.
Offensively, JMU was led by Isabella Peterson and Taylor Marchetti. Peterson recorded a game-high five goals, marking her fourth straight game with three or more goals and her eighth such performance this season. Marchetti also recorded a hat trick netting three goals, all in the second half, including two during the Dukes’ 3-0 run to end regulation.
Colleen Grady paced Drexel’s offensive attack recording a game-high seven points on four goals and three assists. It was Grady’s 12
th game this season with three or more goals. With the three assists, she set the Drexel program record for assists in a career.
The Dukes went on a 3-0 run over the final 4:21 of regulation came in response to a 6-0 run for the Dragons that lasted 16:15 of game time to force the overtime period.
In overtime, Dougherty made back-to-back saves, allowing JMU to convert on the offensive end. Fox did so 3:55 into the period scoring on a free position goal to give the Dukes the 13-12 victory.
Courtney Dietzel, who scored the game-winning goal in Drexel’s overtime-semifinal victory, started the scoring in the Championship game netting the opening goal off a Colleen Grady assist 42 seconds into the match.
JMU responded after a Drexel turnover provided a transition opportunity in which Katie Checkosky capitalized off a fed from Lizzy Fox to tie the game 1-1 with 25 minutes remaining in the first half. However, just 40 seconds later Grady scored a free position goal to regain the one-goal advantage for Drexel.
After Drexel forced the Dukes to run down the 90-second shot clock in back-to-back possessions, the Dragons converted defense into offense as Grady netted her second consecutive goal to give Drexel a 3-1 lead with 19:56 remaining in the first half.
Isabella Peterson went on a 3-0 run by herself, scoring three straight goals for the Dukes to take their first lead of the game with 12:21 remaining before the break.
Daria Lucchesi added to the run extending JMU’s lead to 5-3 before Drexel’s Corinne Bednarik was able to find the back of the net with 4:03 remaining in the half to pull the Dragons back within one. The teams went scoreless for the remainder of the half and JMU took a 5-4 lead into halftime.
Less than two minutes into the second period, Lucy Schneidereith tied the game at five scoring her first goal of the game off another Grady assist.
The Dukes regained control after back-to-back goals from Peterson giving her five goals on the day and putting JMU ahead 7-5 five minutes into the second half.
The teams traded goals with Bednarik notching her second of the day for Drexel and Taylor Marchetti scoring her first of the game. JMU pushed its lead to 9-6 after Emma Greenhill followed Marchetti’s goal, converting on a free position opportunity.
The Dragons would not back down as they went on a 6-0 spurt behind a pair of Lucy Schneidereith goals, one apiece from Dietzel and Claire Jarema, and a pair of Grady goals to reclaim the lead 12-9 with 4:58 remaining in the contest. The two goals gave Lucy Schneidereith her 10
th hat trick of the season.
However, JMU stayed composed and answered the run with a 3-0 run of their own to tie the game at 12 with 1:13 remaining in the contest. Marchetti netted a pair of goals and Katelyn Morgan notched her first of the game to set up the overtime period that would ensue.
2021 CAA Women’s Lacrosse All-Tournament Team
Molly Dougherty, James Madison (MOP)
Lizzy Fox, James Madison
Emma Johnson, James Madison
Isabella Peterson, James Madison
Courtney Dietzel, Drexel
Karson Harris, Drexel
Lucy Schneidereith, Drexel
Jamie Scheidereith, Drexel
Darcie Smith, Hofstra
Katie Whelan, Hofstra
Blair Pearre, Towson
Carly Merlo, Towson