Shelby Stone

Abby Szlachta

Trailing 12-8 midway through the second half, The College of Wooster women's lacrosse team quickly rallied to tie, then completed the comeback in overtime, with Shelby Stone providing the game-winner on a feed from Abby Szlachta, as the Fighting Scots came away from Kenyon College's Mavec Field with a thrilling 14-13 victory in a key North Coast Athletic Conference game Thursday at Gambier, Ohio.

Wooster's (5-2, 2-0 NCAC) explosive offense had been on a run of three consecutive 20-goal games, however, it was held in check for the most part through 48 minutes of play. Down by four and with just eight goals on their side of the ledger, the Scots suddenly erupted for five during a 5:34 stretch, and Kenyon (5-2, 0-1 NCAC) had one sandwiched in between, to even the scoreboard at 13 apiece.

Stone started the rally with back-to-back goals, the first assisted by Ashley Parry and the second coming just 30 seconds later on a free-position shot. The Ladies may have thought they regained control when Jane Symmes netted one to put them back up by two at the 8:41 mark, but Ellie Hudson-Heck answered 29 seconds later and Szlachta tied it with an assist from Stone with 6:00 remaining.

Wooster's defense overcame a late yellow card as well as an apparent game-winner by Stone in regulation that was overturned due to a stick violation.

Goalie Isabel Perman came up with two of her 16 saves for the Scots early in overtime, while her counterpart Meredith Bentsen, stopped a Wooster free-position attempt before the teams switched sides of the field.

Kenyon won the ensuing draw control, then the Scots got possession back as Parry scooped a groundball, and shortly after, Stone finished a scoring opportunity, set up by Szlachta's pass, with 2:24 on the clock.

Wooster's defense closed out the win, with a little help, as the Ladies only remaining shot glanced off the post, and an Emily Turnbull groundball helped the Scots work the clock down.

Kenyon had taken a 9-6 advantage into the halftime break, and after Hudson-Heck twice cut Wooster's deficit to two early in the second half, the Ladies extended their cushion to 12-8 on Symmes's fourth of five goals with 15:23 left in regulation.

Stone equaled Symmes's output with five goals and one assist to pace the Scots and Hudson-Heck contributed four goals. All three of Szlachta's points (2 goals, 1 assist) came during the last 10 minutes of regulation and overtime, and Helena Enders had a pair of goals in the first half.

Perman's 16 saves were a career high, while Wynn Boehmcke, Heather Honn, and Molly Sennett each registered four groundballs during the winning effort.

On Saturday, Wooster will host Franciscan University of Steubenville (1-4) at Wooster High School at 1 p.m.