Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – In a battle between two of the best teams in the NCAA Division III West Region, fifth-rated Colorado College scored the last nine goals of the game to defeat top-ranked Augustana 20-13 Sunday at Thorson-Lucken Field. The Tigers improved to 13-2 this season, while the Vikings suffered just their second loss in 17 outings. The setback is also just the second at home in the five-year history of the Augustana program.
 
The contest was a back-and-forth slugfest for 49 minutes. During that time there were seven lead changes and nine ties.
 
A key play occurred with just over 11 minutes remaining. With the Vikings trailing 15-13, Anne Hopkins (Mother McAuley HS, Chicago, Ill.) appeared to have drawn her team within one. However, her goal was waved off and double yellow cards were issued to Augustana's Quinn Foley (Sandburg HS, Orland Park, Ill.) and Colorado College's Sadie Cole. It took less than two minutes for Tiger Annie DeFino to make it 16-13 with her 49th goal of the season. The three-goal margin was the first of the game for either team.
 
DeFrino added her 50th less than two minutes later and Colorado College tacked on three more tallies in the final seven minutes to account for the final.
 
Tiger Lily Benjamin scored the game's first goal just over a minute in, but Kaylee Nolan (Sandburg HS, Orland Park, Ill.) and Hopkins each scored to give the Vikings their first lead, 2-1, with only two and a half minutes gone. The rest of the half played out much the same way. Colorado College had two goal advantages at 4-2, 7-5 and 9-7. In addition to its first lead, Augustana led at 5-4. Hannah Lyons scored off one of eight Steph Kelly assists with 45 seconds left to give the Tigers a 10-9 lead at intermission.
 
Junior Olivia Mayer (Libertyville HS, Green Oaks, Ill.) opened the second half with consecutive goals, both assisted by Hopkins, to put the hosts back on top. Benjamin scored to tie it, but goals by Emily Handrahan (Lake Zurich HS, Hawthorn Woods, Ill.) and Rebecca Pollard (Westfield HS, Carmel, Ind.) gave the Vikings their first two-goal lead, 13-11, with 25 minutes remaining. Pollard's tally, which came with Augustana a player up, would be the Vikings' last of the game.
 
Mayer led Augustana with five goals, four ground balls and five caused turnovers on the day. Handrahan dished out four assists and Hopkins had two goals and two assists. Nolan had a team-high four draw controls. Jenna Hofmann (Columbine HS, Littleton, Colo.) played the first half in goal, with sophomore Analia Fowler (York HS, Elmhurst, Ill.) replacing her after halftime. Fowler suffered her first loss in 14 decisions.
 
Sunday also marked Senior Day for the Vikings, who honored Cori Duncan (York HS, Elmhurst), Kendall Maduro (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville, Ill.), Kaitlin Hightower (Providence HS, Matthews, N.C.), Shelby Cosman (Marian Catholic HS, St. John, Ind.) and Nellie Bubb (Holy Family HS, Excelsior, Minn.), in addition to Handrahan, Nolan, Hofmann, Foley and Pollard.
 
Augustana is back in action at Thorson-Lucken on Wednesday, May 4, hosting Carthage in a CCIW Tournament semifinal scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The Vikings defeated the Lady Reds 18-7 in Rock island on April 16.