ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Owls field hockey team led nearly the entire way against Muhlenberg earlier Wednesday night after Sarah Chapman scored the opening goal just over two minutes into the Centennial Conference contest. Unfortunately for Bryn Mawr, Muhlenberg proved potent with time winding down, as the hosts scored a tying goal with 32 seconds left to play before netting the game-winner in the first overtime period with 36 seconds left. For Chapman, the goal was her third of the season, putting her third on the team in scoring so far this season. Maggie Titus made four saves for the Owls while Mel Cartagena made four key stops of her own to allow Muhlenberg to hang on until the very end.

Bryn Mawr got on the board very early on in the contest, scoring on the first major chance of the game. The Owls earned a penalty corner just over two minutes into play, with Ryann McManus taking the insertion. The senior sent the ball up to the top of the circle for Eva Yacura, who drove to her right before sending a pass to the right wing to Courtney Cutone. The junior stepped back in towards the center of the circle and sent a pass to the middle where Chapman latched onto the ball. The sophomore quickly gained control and sent a low shot past Muhlenberg goalkeeper Mel Cartagena and into the back of the cage to give Bryn Mawr a 1-0 lead just 2:15 into the game.

From there, the game turned into a midfield battle as neither side was able to generate any sustained pressure offensively for virtually the rest of the contest. Bryn Mawr did an excellent job showcasing their solid defensive shape, shutting down almost every passing lane that Muhlenberg tried and clearing out almost every ball from danger. The two teams only tallied a shot each in the second quarter, with Titus and Cartagena stopping both. Then in the third frame, the offense dried up even further, as neither side recorded a shot in the entire period.

It would not be until late in the fourth quarter that things finally started to heat up. Bryn Mawr had a couple of penalty corners and got a shot off via Kate Ervin, but that chance went wide. Then it was the Mules turn to dial up the pressure, as the hosts racked up four penalty corners in the final two minutes of play. The Owls did a good job clearing out the first two efforts, with Titus making a save and the Bryn Mawr defense blocking a second shot wide. Muhlenberg kept the ball in the offensive zone though and earned two more corners just 30 seconds later, and it was on the second of those chances that the Mules would find the tying goal. Katie Rabb sent the ball to the top of the circle where Maleah Hess ripped a shot on cage. Titus may have been screened by another Muhlenberg player, allowing the ball to go just past the Owls goalkeeper and inside the far post, tying the game at 1-1 with just seconds to go in the contest.

The Owls completely dominated the overtime period from the beginning, keeping Muhlenberg pinned in their own half of the field virtually the whole time. Bryn Mawr's first good chance in extra time came on a penalty corner just a couple of minutes into the first overtime period. Bryn Mawr worked the ball onto the stick of Goetgeluk inside the left wing, but her shot went just wide of the near post and caught the outside of the netting. Muhlenberg survived that early chance but gave the visitors five more penalty corners over the next four minutes. The Owls' best chance of the period came on the final of those corners, as both Eva Yacura and Courtney Cutone had good shots stopped by even better saves by Cartagena.

That all paved the way for Muhlenberg to come through with the winner with less than a minute to go in the first overtime period. Completely against the run of play, the Mules finally worked the ball into the offensive half of the field and earned a foul well away from the circle on the right sideline. Megan Webber restarted quickly, sending a long ball all the way to the middle of the circle where Katie Rabb had outmaneuvered her defender and came away with the ball in a great position in front of the cage. Titus tried to rush out to pressure Rabb and kick away the ball, but the Muhlenberg midfielder sidestepped the onrushing Owls goalkeeper and slotted the ball into the empty cage, sparking a field storming celebration from the Mules squad.

Bryn Mawr will look to rebound from tonight's tough loss when they get back in action at home this weekend. The Owls will host Franklin & Marshall in another important Centennial Conference battle, with game time set for 1:00 PM on Applebee Field on Saturday.