GETTYSBURG, Pa. — Four, three, two.
Those were the numbers for junior Jillian Somers, who took a team-high four shots, including three on frame, and led all players with two goals in host Gettysburg’s 4-3 sudden victory over Washington on Saturday.
Somers scored the golden goal with just 77 seconds elapsed in extra time.
This was the Centennial Conference field hockey opener for both schools.
Gettysburg improved to 6-3 on the season with its second win in as many games, while Washington slipped to 3-6 after going 0-2 during the week.
All six of Washington’s losses are by one goal, including three to top-20 ranked teams.
Senior midfielder MaryCate Anson scored off of a penalty corner with 3 minutes, 40 seconds elapsed — on Washington’s only shot of the first frame — to give the visiting team its only lead of the afternoon.
Tara Radebaugh received the insert from Emma Campbell and passed the ball over to Anson, who dribbled from the outside of the arc and around defenders before taking a shot from the right side that found the opposite corner of the cage.
Gettysburg responded with the next three goals, one in each of the first three quarters, to take a 3-1 lead on Cassie DeBlieck’s score in the 35th minute.
Positioned at the post, Margaret-Ann Graves put back the rebound of a teammate’s shot to deadlock at 1-1 in the ninth minute.
Graves had the assist on the Bullets’ go-ahead goal in the 27th minute, dribbling to the end line and then sending the ball back up to Somers for a direct shot on frame.
The lead swelled to 3-1 when DeBlieck scored from close range off a pass from Lauren Rudick.
Washington rallied with back-to-back goals about four minutes apart to pull even, 3-3, heading into the fourth quarter after sophomores Tyler Rice and Erin Houlihan each scored on their only shot of the game.
Rice’s goal, her first as a collegian, came in the 41st minute to finish off a set piece that started with a penalty corner insert from Campbell. Low at the post, Rice tapped in the rebound of Ashley Swan’s shot that glanced off the glove of keeper Emilia Saccento.
Houlihan netted the tying tally with 47 seconds remaining in the third quarter, deflecting a pass across the goalmouth from Anson.
Washington had the only shot of the fourth quarter, Campbell’s attempt in the 47th minute that required a save from Saccento, and led 4-1 in short corner opportunities over the final 15 minutes of regulation.
In the 7-on-7 overtime, the Bullets’ winning goal was scored after Post carried the ball down the sideline and centered it to Somers.
For the game, Washington led 12-10 in shots (9-7 in shots on target) and 14-10 in penalty corners.
Shore junior Charlotte Schurman was credited with three saves.
NEXT UP: Washington is home Tuesday, Sept. 30 against conference rival Bryn Mawr. Game time is 7 p.m. The Owls (0-1 CC, 5-4) are coming off of a 7-1 loss at Johns Hopkins on Saturday.
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In the preseason poll of Centennial Conference head coaches, six-time defending champion Johns Hopkins (ranked No. 5 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association preseason poll) received all 10 possible first-place votes and 100 points.
Swarthmore received the other first-place vote and tallied 86 points as the second choice.
Ursinus, last year’s conference runner-up, was picked third with 79 points.
Franklin & Marshall (71), Bryn Mawr (70) and Gettysburg (53) also were projected as playoff teams in fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.
Haverford (46), Washington (36), Dickinson (28), Muhlenberg (25) and McDaniel (11) rounded out the voting.
