Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Sophomore Steph Colson (Westminster, Md./Manchester Valley) scored the game-tying goal with two seconds left in regulation and junior Katie Landry (Hingham, Mass./Hingham) tallied the game-winner 1:43 into overtime as sixth-ranked Gettysburg College survived an opening-season scare from No. 17 Messiah College 7-6 on a beautiful day at Clark Field.
 
Gettysburg (1-0) had never lost to Messiah (0-1) in 13 previous meetings, but the Bullets were sitting on the edge of defeat following a five-goal run by the Falcons which made it 6-5 late in the second half. The visitors gained possession of the ball with 1:46 to go, but staunch full-field pressure by the Bullets led to a turnover caused by junior Maggie McClain (Wexford, Pa./Sewickley Academy) with 38 seconds to go.
 
The drama was high in the final seconds as junior Katie Willis (Baltimore, Md./Notre Dame Prep) drew a foul in the scoring area and set up for a free-position attempt with 14 seconds left. Willis went top-shelf, but Messiah goalie Alexa Dipeso got just enough of the ball to deflect it off the cross bar.
 
Gettysburg gained possession after a loose-ball foul and Colson went to work on the outside of the arc, drawing a foul as she tried to get to the cage in the final seconds. She slashed the ensuing free position shot past Dipeso to tie the game.
 
Colson snagged the draw control to start overtime and a quick yellow card on Messiah gave Gettysburg the player advantage on the field. The Bullets nearly lost their opportunity on a turnover, but a miscue by the Falcons on the ensuing clear handed the ball back to the hosts.
 
Just 30 seconds later, Gettysburg cashed in as junior Maggie Welsh (Rye, N.Y./Holy Child) found Landry cutting in front of the cage for the winning score.
 
Colson finished with two goals and a game-high seven draw controls. Landry tallied a goal and two assists, while senior Emma Christie (Cos Cob, Conn./Greenwich) paced the Bullets with three goals. Willis tallied one goal and one helper. Junior Cassie Smith (Phoenix, Md./St. Paul's School for Girls)  and sophomore Brooke Holechek (Reisterstown, Md./Notre Dame Prep) each recorded three ground balls and two caused turnovers.
 
Courtney Wagner paced Messiah with two goals and an assist. Ida Ehrhardt and Stephanie Athens each posted one goal and one assist.
 
Senior Shannon Keeler (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) tallied a dozen saves, while her Messiah counterpart finished with 11 stops and five ground balls.
 
Gettysburg strode out to the early lead as Colson drew a foul on older sister Allie from Messiah and cashed in the ensuing free-position shot. Christie made it a 2-0 lead on a feed from Landry with 17:05 left in the first half. After the Falcons cut it to 2-1, Keeler recorded three-straight saves and Christie converted another pass from Landry to put the score at 3-1 entering the break.
 
Willis contributed to the first two goals of the second half, dishing the assist on Christie's third goal and then scoring on a free-position attempt with 25:31 left.
 
Wagner kicked off a five-goal run for Messiah with a goal at 19:22. After Ehrhardt tied the game on a free-position shot at 9:08, Athens put her team in front with 4:52 left. Keeler kept it a one-goal deficit by tallying her final save of the night with two minutes remaining.
 
Gettysburg finished with a 22-21 lead in shots and a 10-5 advantage in draw controls. Messiah finished 15-of-31 on clears, while the Bullets were 15-of-20.
 
The Bullets hit the road to face Stevenson University Saturday at 1 p.m.