Agurkis Hits OT Winner, as Scots 12th Div. III Program to 600 Wins

WOOSTER, Ohio – Senior captain Lucy Agurkis made The College of Wooster field hockey team the 12th in NCAA Div. III history to hit the 600-win milestone with an overtime game-winner in the Fighting Scots' 2-1 victory over visiting Washington & Jefferson College on Wednesday evening at John P. Papp Stadium.

Wooster's (5-8) winning sequence started with a penalty corner in the 69th minute. The ball was worked to junior Olivia Nengel, who fired off a shot from the wing that was stopped by Washington & Jefferson (5-7) goalkeeper Anastasia Godat. The rebound off Godat's pad found Agurkis, who fired in her second goal of the season from a few yards out in the center.

Moments earlier, Wooster had the numbers in the seven-on-seven extra stanza before Washington & Jefferson's Ella Phillips stepped in front of a cross pass following the entry on the Scots' first overtime corner. In the fourth period, Nengel did likewise, albeit not on a corner entry, thwarting a developing Presidents' scoring chance in the final 105 seconds.

Wooster first-year Mary Johnson's team lead in goals grew to six in the third period. The Scots' forward tied the game at one in the 45th minute by finishing a feed to the middle from junior Maddie Peek, who now has a team-leading three assists.

Washington & Jefferson's Carmyn Cresci scored the Presidents' goal on a redirect from Lina Crowley, who played the ball in towards the middle of the cage from just outside the circle in the 26th minute.

Both teams failed to convert a penalty stroke in regulation. Wooster senior goalkeeper Zoë Semersky made a diving stop on Crowley's try, as the Presidents' midfielder tried to beat her to the lower left corner of the cage in the 47th minute. Wooster's try in the 29th minute sailed just wide of the cage.

Semersky finished with four saves, while Godat tallied five.

Wooster outshot Washington & Jefferson 16-13. The Presidents had seven penalty corners to the Scots' five.

Of note, Wooster's milestone victory came against head coach Jomara Coghlan's old program. Coghlan was Washington & Jefferson's head coach for 15 seasons before accepting the lead position at Wooster this summer.

Next, Wooster (1-2 North Coast Athletic Conference) resumes conference play at Denison University (7-4, 2-1 NCAC) at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 15.