DAVIDSON, N.C.- LaSalle's Taylor Ruland tallied her second goal of the game with 1:29 remaining in regulation to break a 9-9 tie and earn a 10-9 Explorer victory over Monmouth University on Wednesday afternoon.
The game, which was played on a neutral field, found the Hawks ahead 7-6 at the end of the first half but the MU offense slowed down in the second frame, scoring just two more goals the rest of the way. The Hawks were able to muster just five shots in the final period while committing 16 turnovers in the final 30 minutes.
Monmouth got on the board early, taking a 1-0 lead on a Megan Brennan (King of Prussia, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) free position shot but LaSalle answered with two goals inside of 90 seconds to take a 2-1 lead. The Hawks retook the lead with three straight goals, including two from junior Perry DeWitt (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley). LaSalle's Jill Davis tallied back-to-back goals and the game was tied at 3-3. The Hawks scored three goals over the final 9:33 to take a 7-6 lead into halftime.
Davis tied the game again just two and a half minutes into the second half but less than two minutes later Monmouth's Ali Pollock (Watervliet, N.Y./Shaker) gave her squad the lead for the final time on a free position goal. At the 18:02 mark, Explorer Stefany McKee tied up the game and five minutes later Ashley Rutz took a 9-8 on a free position goal. DeWitt tied the game with 8:03 to play with her fourth goal of the game but it was LaSalle's Ruland who would tally the game's final goal with ninety seconds remaining.
Monica Johnson (Radnor, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) made six saves in net for Monmouth, while LaSalle's goaltender tallied three saves. The Hawks were outshot 21-14 in the contest and committed 29 total turnovers. Davis led all scorers with five points including four goals. McKee and Ruland each had a pair of goals for the Explorers.
DeWitt led the Hawks with four goals, while Brennan and sophomore Rachel Feirstein (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown East) each had two goals. Defender Erin Marley (Columbia, Md./Seton Keogh) recorded three ground balls and one caused turnover in the game.
The Hawks return home on Sunday when they host the Villanova Wildcats at Kessler Field at 1 p.m.
