Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Olivia Mayer's (Libertyville HS, Green Oaks, Ill.) free position goal with 56.5 seconds left in the first overtime lifted Augustana to a 12-11 win over Illinois Wesleyan Saturday at Thorson-Lucken Field. The Vikings logged the program's 31st consecutive conference victory to improve to 4-5 overall and 1-0 in the CCIW. The Titans dropped to 7-5 on the year and 0-1 in the league.
 
IWU, which never led in the contest, scored three goals in a two-minute span of the fourth quarter to trim an 11-7 deficit to 11-10 with seven minutes left in regulation. After gaining possession with five and a half minutes on the clock, Augustana attempted to run it out. The Vikings worked four minutes off the clock before committing a turnover at the 1:33 mark. The Titans made it pay off, getting a free position goal from Sara Dust with 40 seconds left to tie the game for the third time.
 
Wesleyan's Sam Bidlack controlled the first draw of overtime, but the Titans turned it over with 2:27 left. Augustana worked the clock until Mayer saw an opening. On her dash to the goal, IWU was whistled for a foul. With a free position attempt from straight on, the Viking senior went low to beat goalie Claire Quist with the game-winner.
 
The hosts jumped in front 5-0 in the first 15 minutes. Mayer and classmate Anne Hopkins (Mother McAuley HS, Chicago, Ill.) each scored twice and assisted each other once. The other goal came on a free position shot by sophomore Carla Bennett (Marian Catholic HS, South Holland, Ill.).
 
Goals by Titans Grainne Kelly, Dani Engelbreit and Sara Dust in the final 11:47 of the period pulled IWU to within 5-3 at intermission and Kelly and Englebreit tallied the first two scores of the second half to tie it at 5-all with 28 minutes left in regulation.
 
After Hopkins and Dust traded goals, freshman Samantha Wright (Pattonville HS, St. Louis, Mo.) scored off a Mayer assist to give Augustana a 7-6 lead. Wright's goal sparked a 4-0 Viking run, with Mayer sandwiching two more tallies around one by Hopkins. However, shortly before Mayer's goal at 16:13 that put Augustana up 10-6, the Vikings suffered a blow when Hopkins was forced to leave the game with an injury.
 
Wesleyan took advantage of Hopkins' absence. Maggie Krause's goal at the 12:56 mark ignited a 5-1 Titan run that culminated with Dust's game-tying tally with 40 seconds left.
 
IWU outshot Augustana 24-19 and held 22-18 and 13-12 advantages, respectively, in ground balls and draw controls. The Vikings were good on 16 of 20 clear attempts, while the Titans converted 12 of 19.
 
Mayer finished with game highs of five goals, three assists, five ground balls and three caused turnovers. Hopkins added four goals and an assist and Bennett scored twice and controlled a game-high five draws. Sophomore Scooter Lopez (Mountain Vista HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) added four ground balls and a caused turnover. Junior Analia Fowler (York HS, Elmhurst, Ill.) played all 62 plus minutes in goal, recording seven saves.
 
Coach C.J. Durham's squad is back in action on Wednesday, April 12, traveling to Dubuque to face the Spartans with first draw scheduled for 5:00 p.m.