Nerbonne's OT Goal Lifts Field Hockey Past Harvard, 2-1

Sunday, September 4

Durham, NH

1 PM

University of New Hampshire

(2-2)

Harvard University

(1-1)

OT 2

Harvard

New Hampshire

9/4/2016 3:55:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score Video Highlights vs. Harvard

Mendonca and Nerbonne Score Yet Again For 'Cats

DURHAM, N.H. – The dynamic duo of Ashley Mendonca (Brampton, Ontario) and Lindsey Nerbonne (Bow, N.H.) lifted the University of New Hampshire field hockey team to Sunday afternoon's 2-1 overtime victory against Harvard University at Memorial Field.

The tandem of Mendonca and Nerbonne has scored all nine of UNH's goals this season. Mendonca tied the game, 1-1, early in the second half to extend her goal streak to three games and increase her season total to four. Nerbonne ended the game at 77:46 when she redirected a strike by Gianna Bensaia (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) into the cage. Nerbonne has scored a goal all four games and has a team-leading five tallies, whereas Bensaia is atop the assist leaderboard with five following her two-assist effort vs. the Crimson.

GAME INFO
Date: September 4, 2016
Location: Memorial Field (Durham, N.H.)
Attendance: 275
Score: New Hampshire 2, Harvard 1 (overtime)
Updated Records: Harvard (1-1), UNH (2-2)

NEXT GAME: Friday, Sept. 9 at Miami (Ohio), 4:30 pm
NEXT HOME GAME: Friday, Sept. 30 vs. Albany, 2 pm

RECAP

Harvard converted a UNH turnover into an early 1-0 lead. The Crimson tackled the ball just outside the circle and, on a restart, Hannah Wellington pushed the ball to the top-right before blasting a low shot back across into the left side of the cage at 1:17.
The Crimson held a 3-2 shot advantage after Ellie Cookson's shot was stopped by UNH goalkeeper Kelsey Rudert (North Grafton, Mass.) in the 12^th minute. The Wildcat outshot the visitors 6-0 the final 23 minutes of the first half but trailed 1-0 in the scoring column.
New Hampshire converted the first of its eight second-half penalty corners into a goal and tie game, 1-1, at 38:43. Katie Audino (Severn, Md.) inserted the ball to the top of the circle, where Bensaia stopped the ball for Mendonca's low blast that deflected off goalkeeper Olivia Startup's stacked leg pads high into the cage.
Harvard's Marissa Balleza recorded the next shot – Rudert made the save – in the 40^th minute, but UNH dominated play for the next 26 minutes and generated a 7-0 shot advantage, but could not break the deadlock.
The Wildcats almost took their first lead of the game with 19 minutes left in regulation. Off a penalty corner, Nerbonne's direct shot continued to roll toward the cage after hitting Startup, but Elizabeth Warner cleared the ball off the goal line to prevent the go-ahead goal.
The Crimson finally advanced the ball into the circle with just over three minutes to play in the second half. Maddie Earle's initial shot was blocked and Balleza corralled the rebound on the left wing, but her rising shot was kicked away by Rudert to keep the score 1-1.
UNH counterattacked and generated a corner. Nerbonne's shot was blocked by a defender's foot to give the Wildcats another corner with under a minute remaining. This time, Nerbonne slipped a pass to the middle of the circle, where Mendonca ripped a one-timer that Startup blocked away.
Through regulation, UNH generated a sizable advantage in both shots (19-6) and corners (10-2).
Bensaia initiated the game-winning sequence as she penetrated the circle on the right side. She struck a low, hard ball toward the cage that Nerbonne redirected for the score.
Rudert finished with four saves and, at the other end of the field, Startup stopped seven shots, including one in OT.

'CAT NIPS

Nerbonne has scored at least one goal all four games this season and leads the squad with five. The game-winning goal marked the 30^th tally of her three-year Wildcat career, which is tied at No. 13 with Caroline Coyne (1995-98).
Mendonca has four goals the past three games. She had a total of two goals her first two years as a Wildcat.
Bensaia tied her personal best of two assists that she established Aug. 28 vs. Boston University. She has five assists during her three-game assist streak and has tallied a helper on five of UNH's nine goals.

GAME NOTES

UNH is 2-0 in overtime this season. The Wildcats also prevailed 2-1 vs. UMass in the Aug. 26 season opener at Memorial Field. Including this season, the 'Cats have won six consecutive games decided beyond regulation.
UNH has recorded 21 shots and double digits in penalty corners each of the past two games.
New Hampshire has recorded the shot advantage 3 of 4 games and has the edge in penalty corners the same three games; BU is the only team that got the better of UNH in those two statistics.

SHOTS: Harvard 3-3-1–7. UNH 8-11-2–21.

PENALTY CORNERS: Harvard 2-0-1–3. UNH 2-8-0–10.

GOALS
Harvard (1): Hannah Wellington.
UNH (2): Ashley Mendonca, Lindsey Nerbonne.

ASSISTS
Harvard (0):
UNH (3): Gianna Bensaia (2), Katie Audino.

SAVES
Harvard: Olivia Startup 3-3-1–7 (77:46; 2GA)
UNH: Kelsey Rudert 2-2-0–4 (77:46; 1 GA)