Anna Divis

WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster field hockey team scored two goals just 22 seconds apart near the end of regulation to send the game to overtime, but Denison University withstood the Scots' rally and scored the game-winner to take both teams' North Coast Athletic Conference opener by a 3-2 margin Wednesday afternoon at John P. Papp Stadium.

The Scots (0-3, 0-1 NCAC) were unable to generate many scoring opportunities against a stingy Big Red (2-0, 1-0 NCAC) defense until late in the second half when they began to control possession on their end of the field. During this time, Wooster earned a handful of penalty corners, and at the 66:44 mark, Clare Nelson-Johnson corralled one and passed it to Anna Divis, who drew the Scots within one (2-1) with her first goal of the season.

Just seconds later, the Scots intercepted a Big Red pass and took off down field, where Shelby Stone found Nelson-Johnson on the opposite side of the goal with a cross, and the latter rattled the cage to knot the score at 2-2.

Josie Rey and Divis each made some impressive individual stops on the defensive end during the final moments of regulation to preserve the tie and force overtime.

Denison dominated possession in the extra period, though, and eventually netted the golden goal, when Hilary Zdanowski was able to make her way out of a scrum and fire off a shot that beat the 'keeper.

Neither team scored during a closely-contested first half, but Denison stunned Wooster just 42 seconds after the break to take the first lead of the game (1-0), and then added an insurance goal in the 63rd minute to go up 2-0.

Making just her second career start, and third appearance overall, goalkeeper Carrie Mount made four saves in the setback, including one in the second half where she came out of the box to challenge a player on a fast break and slid to smack the ball away.

Wooster will look to end its skid Saturday when it visits Wittenberg University at 1 p.m.