Clinton, N.Y. - Sophomore Abby McInerney (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) scored with 5.4 seconds left in the first overtime period and lifted the No. 7-ranked Trinity College Bantams to a 9-8 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) women's lacrosse win against the No. 12-ranked Hamilton College Continentals at Steuben Field this afternoon.  Trinity, 3-0 in overtime this spring, improves to 12-2 overall and stays at the top of the league with a 8-1 league mark with just the regular-season finale at home against Amherst next Wednesday left to play. Hamilton is now 10-5 overall and 5-5 in the NESCAC, having closed its regular campaign today.  

As the clock went under 15 seconds to go in overtime, Trinity senior co-captain midfielder Martha Griffin (Exeter, N.H.) received the ball outside the fan and made a move towards the goal. Suddenly, Griffin pulled up and found McInerney just a few feet in front of the goal. McInerney turned and fired the ball into the back of the net.  Griffin led the Bantams' offense with a goal and two assists. She also caused three turnovers. McInerney and first-year Olivia Johnson (West Granby, Conn.) scored two goals apiece, and junior attacker Clare Lyne (Concord, Mass.) contributed a goal and an assist. Junior attacker Emma Malicki (LOudonville, N.Y.) was credited with two helpers. Senior co-captain defender Ashley Stewart (Dover, Mass.), who leads the team with 28 ground balls, scooped up four. McInerney won a team-high three draw controls. Sophomore Zoe Ferguson (Ridgewood, N.J.) started in goal and made seven saves in the first half. Senior Emily Mooney (New York, N.Y.) played the final 35-plus minutes and stopped five shots. Caroline McCarthy paced Hamilton with a goal and two assists, while Darby Philbrick scored once, scooped up four ground balls and won three draw controls.  Hamilton junior goalie Hannah Rubin finished with three saves.

Hamilton had the ball for most of the six-minute overtime but could manage just one shot. The Continentals won the opening draw but committed a turnover almost a minute into the period. Trinity tried to clear but turned it over and Hamilton called a timeout with 25 seconds left in the first three-minute session but couldn't get a shot off before time expired.  At the start of the second three-minute session, Hamilton's Kara Pooley unleashed a high shot that was stopped by Mooney. The Bantams found their way into the offensive zone and McInerney made it a successful trip.

Trinity started its rally back from a 8-3 deficit 10 minutes into the second half on a goal by Johnson with 18:10 on the clock. McInerney and Griffin scored free-position goals and pulled the Bantams within 8-6 with 7:01 remaining. Johnson made it a one-goal game with 4:51 to go and junior midfielder Karly Simpson (South Hadley, Mass.) tied the score with 1:33 left on a nifty move as she cut towards the center of the field from the left side and fired a low shot into the back of the net while diving to the ground.  Hamilton was awarded possession after a foul was called on the ensuing draw and the Continentals worked the ball around for the last shot. McCarthy took it in the closing seconds but it was stopped by Mooney and Stewart picked up the loose ball as time ran out.

The score was tied at 2-2 with 20:51 remaining in the first half when Hamilton scored the next five goals. The Continentals enjoyed a 21-6 shot advantage and a 13-6 edge in ground balls during the opening 30 minutes.  Morgan Fletcher's free-position goal 1:48 into the second half made it 5-2 and Pooley scored for a 6-2 lead with 23:57 left. Another Fletcher goal gave Hamilton a five-goal lead 1:48 later. After Trinity junior Nicole Stauffer (Cheshire, Conn.) cut the Continentals' lead to 7-3, Gabriel restored the five-goal cushion on a nice feed from McCarthy with 20:39 remaining.