Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Senior Hannah Fitzgerald (Larchmont, N.Y./Mamaroneck) tallied a penalty stroke goal to force a tie with No. 19 Catholic University with just over 10 minutes remaining, but the Cardinals picked up the game-winning score with two minutes left to beat the Bullets 4-3 in a non-conference field hockey contest at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium on Tuesday.
 
Gettysburg (1-1), which had scored a total of three goals in the previous seven meetings with perennially-ranked Catholic (2-0), trailed 3-1 after Rachel Day deflected a shot by Lizzie Ireland into the cage in the 52nd minute.
 
The Bullets had not managed shot in the first 15 minutes of the second half before a flurry of attempts helped set the stage for the team's second goal. After a penalty corner was called, Fitzgerald fielded the in-bounds pass and shifted the ball to her left. Junior Philippa Lumsden (Belle Mead, N.J./Montgomery) posted a solid strike on the ball which was tipped into the back of the cage by senior Kit Towers (Midlothian, Va./St. Anne's Belfield) in the 57th minute.
 
Less than three minutes later, another flurry by the Bullets led to the game-tying goal. A penalty corner initiated a scrum in front of the goal and a potential goal by the hosts was illegally touched by a defender. Awarded a penalty stroke, Fitzgerald rocketed a shot into the lower left corner to tie the game 3-3.
 
Catholic pressed the action in the final five minutes, posting two shots and three penalty corners before getting the winning tally. Day struck again, redirecting a shot by Ireland into the cage with exactly two minutes left.
 
The Cardinals came out firing from the game's outset, logging each of the first five shots before Gettysburg took a swing. Molly Crowley converted the first goal off a feed from Kady Owen 1:15 into the game.
 
Junior Lindsay Kraus (Bel Air, Md./John Carroll School) continued her hot start to the year, following up her first career hat trick in the opening game against DeSales University with an unassisted tally in the 13th minute against Catholic.
 
The Cardinals jumped back in front five minutes later when Crowley poked home the loose ball following a penalty corner. The score remained 2-1 heading into halftime thanks to a save by Catholic goalie Sophia Hamilton and a defensive save by Nicole Tsiaras in the final minutes of the opening period.
 
Catholic finished with a slight edge in shots (16-15), while the teams each took eight penalty corners.
 
With the goal, Fitzgerald took over sole possession of 10th on Gettysburg's career scoring list with 69 points. Junior Haley Mowery (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Northern) posted six saves and jumped out of the cage several times to thwart deep crossing passes and rushing attackers.
 
Gettysburg resumes its home-stand against Cabrini College this Saturday at 1 p.m.