Gebert's Game-Winner Helps Lacrosse Top Cincinnati in Double Overtime, 9-8

Saturday, March 24

Howarth Field

12:00 p.m.

Temple University

7-3, 2-0BIG EAST

Cincinnati

6-3, 0-2BIG EAST

OT 1

Cincinnati

Temple

Photo by: Zamani Feelings

Gebert's Game-Winner Helps Lacrosse Top Cincinnati in Double Overtime, 9-8

3.24.18 | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

PHILADELPHIA - Just about a minute into the second overtime period, sophomore Maddie Gebert fired the game-winning goal to lift Temple lacrosse to a thrilling, 9-8 win over BIG EAST foe Cincinnati. The Owls (7-3, 2-0) have now won four straight, while the Bearcats (6-3, 0-2) dropped their second-straight league contest.

Keys to the Game
> The score was close throughout the game, but it was the Owls who had to come back from a three-goal deficit just before halftime.
> Neither team ever led by more than one in the second half, and the two squads played five almost seven minutes of scoreless lacrosse after regulation.
> Total shots favored Temple, 27-23, and the Owls dominated on the draw with 14 draw controls to Cincinnati's seven thanks to a game-high seven draws by sophomore Kara Nakrasius.

Individual Highlights
> Gebert, fellow sophomore Olivia Thompson and freshman Jackie Cerchio all scored two goals apiece for Temple.
> Sophomores Meghan Hoffman and Julia Ryan tallied two assists each, with both also adding a goal for a team-high three points.
> Senior Kira Gensler added one goal and one assist.
> In goal, sophomore Maryn Lowell made eight saves, including one game-saving save in the first overtime period.
> Senior Nicole Latgis continued her outstanding play defensively, leading all players with four caused turnovers and a team-high three ground balls. Latgis was charged with guarding Cincinnati's leading scorer Monica Borzillo, who had 25 goals coming and scored zero against the Owls.

Game Summary
> The teams traded goals over the first 15 minutes, but Cincinnati then scored four of five to take a 6-3 lead with 1:55 left in the first half.
> Cerchio scored her first goal with just over a minute left in the opening period to send the Owls into the break down by just two, 6-4.
> Ryan and Cerchio scored just one minute apart to open the scoring midway through the second half and tie the game at 6-6.
> The Bearcats took one more lead, 7-6 at 16:14, but the Owls got a pair of goals in a 40-second span near the 10-minute mark to take an 8-7 lead.
> Lowell saved one game-tying attempt by the Bearcats in the remaining time, but they finally got one past her with 4:33 left to make it 8-8, and that score stood through the buzzer.
> Cincinnati's Giuliana Durso, who finished with 10 saves, made two of those in the first overtime while Lowell made one.
> Junior Amber Lambeth picked up the final draw control of the game to start the second overtime, and the Owls ran their play perfectly to set up Gebert, who drove into the circle and fired the game-winner past Durso.

Quotable
> "I think this win says a ton for this young team that we're growing so much and we can stay focused down the stretch. To finish the game off with multiple overtime periods and on a play call that we gave Maddie the go-ahead for taking the shot - for her to finish it says a lot about the composure and the will of this team. I was just really excited for this team. We're earning our own confidence and learning how to play this game...winning is fantastic, but for the team to feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of a game like this is really a special thing."

"We knew Cincinnati was going to be a really tough team. They're scrappy, they're fast, and they're really hungry to make their mark. I didn't know we'd go into multiple overtimes to figure out the winner, but I expected this to be a tough game."

-Temple head coach Bonnie Rosen

Next Up
> The Owls' five-game homestand is complete, and they will play two games on the road starting with a 3 p.m. (ET) contest at Marquette on Saturday, March 31.