Box Score STOCKTON, Calif. - Oct. 2, 2011 -A season-high 15 shots on goal weren't enough for the Robert Morris field hockey team on Sunday as the Colonials came up on the losing end of a 3-2 contest against Pacific that went all the way to penalty strokes to determine a winner.
After the Tigers notched a pair of first-half goals from Amanda Spellman at 10:14 and Melissa Mautlsby at 22:26, the Colonials (6-7 overall, 0-0 NEC) found themselves in a hole after the first 35 minute session. But the second half would show that Robert Morris was up to the challenge.
Senior forward Chantele Crow (Dauphin, Pa. / Central Dauphin) put the Colonials on the board at 57:29 when she knocked in a rebound to cut the lead to 2-1. Freshmen forwards Jamie Hartley (Tamworth, Australia / University of Newcastle) and Michelle Lewthwaite (Macarthur, Australia / Westfield Sports) set up the play and were credited with assists. The Colonials would strike again just over three minutes later with the equalizer - this time off the stick of freshman forward Taleah Scott (Crookwell, Australia / Crookwell). Scott, who leads Robert Morris with 16 points (four goals, eight assists) this season, fired her attempt from the middle of the circle after a corner pass from Lethwaite, who earned her second helper of the game on the play.
After regulation would end with the score knotted at 2-2, the two teams would battle through a pair of overtime periods to no avail as the decision would come via penalty strokes. After both teams missed their first attempt, Pacific jumped ahead with its second attempt - a stroke that found the back of the goal off the stick of Paige Counsman. The Colonials would then successfully convert back-to-back strokes from freshman defender Meredith Krick (Palmyra, Pa. / Palmyra Area) to take a 2-1 lead in the shootout, but Pacific's Amanda Spellman would strike home the equalizer, and, following an RMU miss, the shootout would advance to sudden death. After a Colonials miss on the first attempt, Pacific tallied the game winner from Maggie Grindatti to lock up the 3-2 win.
Freshman Erin McKenzie (Lismore, Australia / University of Queensland Tech) tied her season-high save mark - set in Friday's 1-0 loss to No. 5 Stanford - with 11 saves in the contest.
Robert Morris opens Northeast Conference play next weekend with a pair of road games. The Colonials open the weekend at Quinnipiac on Friday before taking on Sacred Heart on Saturday.
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