SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. - Senior goalie Amanda Manaster recorded 10 saves to help Mount Holyoke College earn a 0-0 double-overtime tie against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in non-conference action on Wednesday evening. The Lyons are now 3-9-2 on the season, while the Engineers move to 4-7-3.
The visitors got off to a strong start, opening the first half with a 12-2 advantage in shots. As the game proceeded into the second stanza, the Lyons saw one of their best chances of the game occur early in the frame. RPI rookie goalie Alex Benfatti (Johnstown, N.Y./Gloversville) sent the ball out on a goal kick, but MHC junior forward Minerva Veeser-Bobea (Arlington, Mass./Arlington) was quick to kick the ball back in on goal. Her shot went past the Engineers keeper, who dove back into her own net to save the loose ball from crossing the line.
RPI nearly won it in regulation as junior midfielder Jacqui Richard (Southwick, Mass./Westminster School) headed in a cross toward the right post, but Manaster was there to make the stop on her knees and send the match into overtime. The first ten minutes of the extra session saw the visitors with a number of strong opportunities, the best coming in the 97th minute as senior midfielder Emily Dunn (Seattle, Wash./Ballard) sent in a bulleted shot which richocheted off the cross bar. Junior midfielder Alexis Castrellon (Conroe, Texas/Battlefield) added another late shot before the end of the frame, but it went up over the crossbar once again.
The second overtime once again saw the Engineers push hard toward the MHC net with five shots into the zone. First year forward Whitney Wisnom (Hillsborough, Calif./Design Tech) saw her fifth shot of the contest turned aside by Manaster, while at the other end, the Lyons got a solid shot from junior midfielder Cora Melcher (Portland, Maine/Casco Bay), which was saved by Benfatti to hold the score and conclude the match in the draw.
Manaster's 10 saves marked her fourth double-digit save effort in a row and her seventh of the season. She currently leads the NEWMAC in overall saves with 125. For RPI, Benfatti recorded three stops.
Mount Holyoke returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Wheaton for Senior Day on the soccer field at 12pm. RPI is back in action on Saturday as well, traveling to Ithaca for a 2pm Liberty League tilt.
