STONY BROOK, N.Y. - Junior midfielder Amanda Pappas (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) scored the game-winner with four seconds remaining in overtime to lift the UMBC women's lacrosse team (7-3, 1-0 AE) to a 10-9 victory over Stony Brook (2-8, 0-1 AE) Saturday afternoon at LaValle Stadium in the America East Conference opener for both teams.
The victory is the fifth straight for the Retrievers, their longest winning streak since taking six in a row from April 17-May 3, 2003. In addition, it is the third straight win in an America East opener for UMBC and its fifth in seven seasons in the conference. UMBC has never lost to Stony Brook in seven meetings.
At 7-3, the Retrievers are off to their best start since 1986, when they won eight of their first 10 games.
UMBC led, 4-1, after junior midfielder Ashley Stodter (Silver Spring, Md./Good Counsel) tallied with 7:26 remaining in the first half, but the Seawolves scored the final two goals of the period and trailed by just one, 4-3, at halftime.
Stony Brook midfielder Victoria Cable knotted the score just 2:05 into the second stanza, but back-to-back goals by junior attack Erika Braerman (Fallston, Md./Fallston) put the Retrievers back on top, 6-4, just three minutes later.
UMBC led, 7-5, on Pappas' second goal of the game with 21:04 remaining, but Stony Brook midfielder Jessica Romano converted a feed from midfielder Melissa Cook with 1:24 left to send the game into overtime tied at 7-7.
Romano and Cook again teamed up to give the Seawolves their first lead of the game, 8-7, at the 3:09 mark of the extra period, but sophomore attacks Alicia Krause (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron/Duquesne) and Emily Coady (Westminster, Md./Westminster) converted consecutive free-position attempts just 14 seconds apart to give the Retrievers a 9-8 advantage with 1:36 remaining.
Cook again knotted it up with 52 seconds left on a free-position goal of her own before Pappas found the back of the net for the game-winner with four seconds on the clock.
UMBC's America East Player of the Game, Pappas tallied four points on three goals and an assist. Krause and Braerman also scored twice. Romano earned her team's Player of the Game honors with three points on two goals and a helper.
Senior goalie Kate Quick (Phoenix, Md./Maryvale Prep) recorded two saves between the pipes, while Mickey Cahill stopped 10 shots for the Seawolves.
UMBC outshot Stony Brook 32-16, but the Seawolves held a 15-14 edge on ground balls and an 11-10 advantage on draw controls.
The Retrievers return to action on Monday, March 29, when they travel to Manhattan.
