SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- The Mount Holyoke College lacrosse team appeared to have its first conference win wrapped up with a goal by Hannah Bisson in overtime on Monday at the MHC Turf, but the goal was waved off, and visiting Emerson College capitalized with Grace Danehy's game-ending score 31 seconds later for a dramatic and perplexing 19-18 victory.
Mount Holyoke (1-13, 0-7 NEWMAC) came back from a 14-7 deficit in the second quarter to tie the game at 16-16 with 10:19 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Emerson (5-9, 2-7 NEWMAC) retook the lead on a free-position goal by Ava DelliCompagni with 7:14 to go, and Danehy scored unassisted at the 3:36 mark for a two-goal cushion at 18-16.
After a Mount Holyoke timeout, sophomore Emi Bisson (Chester, Conn.) won the ensuing draw. Senior Hannah Bisson (South Hadley, Mass.) was fouled inside the 8-meter circle and scored her third goal of the game on a free-position shot, closing the gap to 18-17 with 2:48 left.
Emi Bisson again won the next draw, then took a shot that hit the crossbar and was picked up by sophomore Marielle Welch (Silver Spring, Md.). Senior Caroline Thompson (Harwich, Mass.) then drove around the perimeter and fired to tie the game again at 18-18 with her seventh goal of the season.
A yellow card was issued to Ava DelliCompagni with 2:22 left in regulation, but a Mount Holyoke turnover kept the Lyons from capitalizing on the power play. Emerson took the only shot of the final two minutes in regulation, an attempt by Danehy saved by Mount Holyoke first-year Syd Baker (Needham, Mass.). with 26 seconds left, preserving the tie and sending the game into sudden-victory overtime.
Emi Bisson corralled the draw to begin overtime -- her 13th draw control of the game. Emerson's defensive pressure caused her to lose control of the ball, but Hannah Bisson was first to reach the loose ball and was fouled as she lunged toward the Emerson goal, giving her a free-position shot from the left wing.
Hannah Bisson passed outside to Emi Bisson, and Emi Bisson flipped the ball back to a cutting Hannah Bisson for the give-and-go. As she was leveled by an Emerson defender, Hannah Bisson shot, scored and immediately dropped her stick before celebrating the apparent victory.
But rather than rule the play a goal, game officials conferred, quieting the stadium for a tense 20 minutes. At last, the goal was waved off, reportedly because the scorer's stick was deemed to be not readily available to officials for post-goal inspection.
Play finally resumed with Emerson awarded the ball. A long clearing pass down the middle of the field by Emerson goalie Ellie Spotts found Maddy Reyes just 20 yards outside of the Mount Holyoke goal. Reyes circled behind the goal then passed to a cutting Danehy on the left wing for a one-time shot past Baker, ending the game with Danehy's 22nd goal of the season, and still inside the first minute of overtime.
After sophomore Elle Mader's (Cincinnati, Ohio) goal early in the second quarter made the score 6-5 in Emerson's favor, the visiting Lions went on an 8-2 run to seize a 14-7 lead with 3:42 left in the half. DelliCompagni scored three times in the run and Lauren Longstreet added two more scores.
Emi Bisson closed it to 14-8 before intermission, then scored three goals and assisted on another during the third quarter as Mount Holyoke charged back. An unassisted tally by first-year Mackenzie Hillman (Newington, Conn.) closed the gap to 15-14 with 1:31 remaining in the third. Emi Bisson then scored the first goal of the fourth quarter and then found sophomore Marielle Welch open for Welch's game-tying goal at 16-16 with 10:19 remaining.
Emi Bisson finished the game with a career-high eight goals, the most by any player in a NEWMAC game this season. Bisson added two assists and a game-high 13 draw controls in an immense performance for the Lyons.
Hannah Bisson had three goals and an assist, and Thompson added two goals, an assist, four ground balls and three draw controls. First-year goalie Syd Baker (Needham, Mass.) finished with 13 saves and four ground balls.
DelliCompagni scored six goals to go with 11 draw controls and six ground balls for Emerson. Callie Krosin and Reyes both had three goals and two assists apiece, and Danehy had three goals and one assist. Spotts had 14 saves for the Lions.
Mount Holyoke plays at Salve Regina on Wednesday at 6pm; Emerson will play at Smith Wednesday at 7pm.
