Springfield, Mass. - Junior Karly Simpson (South Hadley, Mass.) scored the clinching goal unassisted with 4:04 left in the second overtime to lead the visiting Trinity College Bantams to a 8-7 victory over the Springfield College Pride in women's lacrosse action this afternoon on Stagg Field.  Trinity, ranked No. 7 in the nation, improves to 9-2 with third win in a row, while the Pride falls to 8-3. with its first loss in five games. 

Trinity dominated possession with a 14-to-3 edge on the draw and outshot the Pride, 24-15, but Springfield junior goalkeeper Gabby Anderson (Mahopac, N.Y.) registered a career-best 14 saves.  Trinity senior co-captain midfielder Martha Griffin (Exeter, N.H.) had a game-high four goals, draw controls, four ground balls, and a caused turnover, while junior attacker Clare Lyne (Concord, Mass.) scored twice and added four draw controls, and sophomore Georgia Mergner (West Caldwell, N.J.) registered two assists.  Senior co-captain Ashley Stewart (Dover, Mass.) was stellar defensively with a game-high five caused turnovers to go with two ground balls and two draw controls, while sophomore goalie Zoe Ferguson (Ridgewood, N.J.) notched six stops in the win.  Sophomore Shelby Corsano (Bourne, Mass.) posted five points including three goals and two assists, while Bridget Thibodeau (Andover, Mass.) posted three caused turnovers and a team-best four ground balls.

Trintiy fell behind, 3-1, with under 20 minutes into in the first half, as Griffin got Trinity on the board on a free-position shot at the 26:31 mark to tie at at one-all but Springfield scored the next three.  The Bantams cut their deficit to one with a pair of goals in the final 5:03, one from junior Emma Malicki (Loudonville, N.Y.) and the other from Lyne, to make it 4-3, Springfield, heading into the break.

Opening the second half, Springfield pushed its lead to a pair following an unassisted goal from Corsano, before Griffin kept the Bantams within one following a strike of her own just 19 seconds later.  With 27:11 to go in the game, Heather Raniolo (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) found the back of the net when she took a feed from Corsano and tucked it past Ferguson to make it 6-4, Springfield, but Trinity pulled back within within one with another free-position goal from Griffin.  With 19:08 to play, Corsano converted a Pride free-position chance to make it 7-5, Pride, but quick goals just 30 seconds apart from Griffin and Lyne made it 7-7 at the end of regulation.  It was back-and-forth lacrosse for the first overtime period, but the Bantams finally broke through when Simpson gathered the ball in front of the cage, rolled, and bounced a shot through the junior's legs to give Trinity the win.