ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Wittenberg rallied from deficits of 9-6 and 11-9 in the final 14 minutes Friday and eventually claimed a 12-11 overtime win over Augustana at Thorson-Lucken Field. The Vikings fell to 1-2 on the season, while the Tigers improved to 2-3. 

Bailey Aasen (Park HS, Cottage Park, Minn.) sandwiched a pair of goals around one by Carla Bennett (Marian Catholic HS, South Holland, Ill.) to give Augustana a 9-6 lead midway through the second half, but Wittenberg answered with scores by Emily Wadds, Madeline Stock and Josee Clayton to pull even (9-9) with 8½ minutes remaining in regulation.
 
Emily Lucnik (Schaumburg HS, Schaumburg, Ill.) found the net twice less than a minute apart to put the Vikings back on top.  The first goal came just inside the seven-minute mark when she redirected a Christina McCabe (Maine South HS, Park Ridge, Ill.) pass by Tiger goalie Joanna Stecz. Aasen assisted on the second score with just over six minutes left in regulation and Augustana led 11-9.
 
The Vikings had a chance to milk the clock when they backed out a free-position opportunity inside three minutes, but committed a costly turnover just seconds into the possession which eventually led to a Clayton free-position goal at the 2:05 mark. Rachel Bernard's tally with 38 seconds left in regulation tied it at 11-all. Augustana controlled the ensuing draw, but couldn't mount an attack.
 
Wadds controlled the opening draw of overtime and Wittenberg had the ball in its offensive end the rest of the way. A Wadds shot sailed high a minute in, but the Vikings couldn't clear. Goalie Courtney Veitch (Lake Zurich HS, Hawthorn Woods, Ill.) turned away a Clayton attempt in the final minute, but after resetting their offense, the Tigers went back to Clayton, who scored the game-winner with 25 seconds left in the initial overtime session.
 
The contest was tight the entire way. Consecutive goals by Lucnik, Margaret Cecilio (Archbishop Mitty HS, San Jose, Calif.) and Bennett took Augustana from down 4-3 to up 5-4 with seven minutes left in the first half, but Wadds scored to send the teams to halftime tied 5-5. Neither team held a lead of more than a goal until the Vikings' 3-0 spree in the second half.
 
Playing in their first game of the season, Bennett and Lucnik each had three goals and an assist. Aasen finished with two goals and two assists and Cecilio scored twice as well. Clayton led Wittenberg with six goals on the day and Wadds controlled 10 draws, grabbed 11 ground balls and caused seven turnovers.
 
Veitch finished with 16 saves and Stecz seven.
 
The Tigers had advantages of 40-23 in shots, 22-14 in ground balls and 13-9 in draws controlled.
 
Coach C.J. Holder's squad is back in action on March 13 at Loras.