Overtime heroics

The Springfield women’s lacrosse team came back late to defeat Western Connecticut State 15-14.

penalty.

Now positioned just 10 yards from the goal, O’Connor awaited another whistle to resume play. She took a deep breath, and got into position: her left leg forward, right leg back, hunched forward and stick positioned over her right shoulder, ready to shoot. When the blare of whistle resumed the game, O’Connor exploded forward as if she were shot out of a cannon.

This game marked the third time this season O’Connor has bested her single-game career-high in goals. She humbly accredits that success to her teammates.

“We have so many threats, that defenses aren’t just looking at me,” O’Connor said. “They have to focus on all seven of us, and it makes it a lot harder to stop us.”

As Jade O’Connor lined up for a free position shot attempt, a deafening silence hung over Stagg Field. Most in attendance were standing with interlocked hands placed on their heads. Members of the Springfield College women’s lacrosse

__ By Braedan Shea @braedan_shea

team impatiently waited on the balls of their feet along the sideline. The anticipation was thick enough to slice with a knife.

The scoreboard read 14-14, with 0:56 remaining in overtime. Seconds prior, O’Connor attempted to bullrush through the opposing Western Connecticut College defense, but was instead met with a strong body check –enough to get O’Connor off her feet. As she hit the ground, the officials quickly blew their whistle for the

A WestConn defender tried to get in the way, but it was far too late. O’Connor launched her stick in celebration and Stagg Field erupted as her career-high eighth goal found the back of the net. The game-ending goal gave the Pride a 15-14 victory over WestConn and O’Connor not only the NEWMAC Offensive Player of the Week, but also the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) National Co-Offensive Player of the Week.

Whenever the game is on the line, O’Connor has become the focal point of the offense – dating back to her first game dawning a Pride uniform on Feb. 23, 2022, when a last-second goal gave Springfield a 10-9 victory over Roger Williams. Earlier this week, on Wednesday, O’Connor scored another overtime game-winner in a 1615 win over Westfield State.

“I think the fact that the team trusts me with the ball in my stick at the end of the game, I have to acknowledge that and finish when I have it,” O’Connor said.

O’Connors huge performance stems back to preparing for this game earlier this week.

“We thought for sure she was going to get face guarded and we were prepping for that,” said Springfield head coach Jenn Thomas. “We were ready to go when our next opportunity was available, but they didn’t make that adjustment. So we just decided to keep having her hammer the ball in the back of the net.”

While the offense was firing on all cylinders, the defense was what kept Springfield in the game. The physical and high energy it brings has been the identity of the Pride during the five game win-streak.

Last season’s NEWMAC Defensive Player of the Year Gianna Scialdone and junior standout Hannah Hibbert were the de- to send the game to overtime, and got the deciding ground ball that would lead to the O’Connor game winner.

It was a move that Thomas made at the start of the fourth quarter to give Springfield some much-needed momentum after four consecutive Wolves goals, and ultimately decided the game.

“I thought Haley Moody did awesome when she went in,” Thomas said. “She actually got out of the cage and put a little bit of pressure on the players down behind the goal. It was great to see that.”

The weekend featured a very important stretch of two games for Thomas. On Satur- day, she faced Mount Holyoke College – the first school she had ever had a coaching position at after graduating college. The following day, she was tasked with going up against an even bigger opponent: the first college she had ever been the head coach of. And Thomas beat both.

“It’s exciting, but I think what makes it the most special is that I’m here at Springfield doing it,” Thomas said. “We played three great opponents, but two teams that are close to my heart. They mean a lot to me. It’s great that we came out on top, but I’m also so proud of what both programs have done and will continue to do.” fensive anchors of the Pride. Each grabbed four ground balls, and Scialdone caused seven turnovers. Her performance also awarded her the NEWMAC Defensive Player of the Week. But one of the most underrated players of the game was goalkeeper Haley Moody.

Although not starting the game, Moody finished the game flawlessly. She saved a last second desperation shot from WestConn