Buffenbarger
2
Swarthmore SWATFH (2-1)
3
Winner Stevens STEVENS (2-2)
Swarthmore SWATFH
(2-1)
2
Final
3
Stevens STEVENS
(2-2)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 F
Swarthmore SWATFH 0 0 1 1 0 0 2
Stevens STEVENS 0 0 2 0 0 1 3

Game Recap: Field Hockey | | Stevens Athletic Communications

Third Time’s a Charm! Buffenbarger’s Double OT Goal Sends Field Hockey to 3-2 win Over Swarthmore

Ducks win second overtime contest of the season

HOBOKEN, N.J. (Sept. 11, 2021) – It took double overtime and three consecutive shots from fifth-year Allison Buffenbarger but in the end, the Stevens Institute of Technology field hockey team earned a thrilling 3-2 victory over Swarthmore College Saturday afternoon at the DeBaun Athletic Complex.

With the score tied 2-2, Buffenbarger collected a pass from senior Kila Eadie off a corner and fired a shot that was saved by Garnet goalkeeper Aron Lankford. The fifth-year from Leesburg, Va., did not panic, however, collecting her own rebound and weaving through the defense to set up another opportunity she eventually buried in the back of the cage for the game-winner.

It was the first game-clinching goal of Buffenbarger's career as well as her first goal in this her final season on Castle Point.

After neither team got on the scoreboard in the first half, the Ducks fell behind 1-0 in the 33rd minute when Chelsea Semper tapped a shot in off a corner after collecting the rebound off a defensive save from fifth-year Anna Cooper.

Stevens responded almost immediately with a goal of their own in the 35th when first-year Emily Smart took the ball on a breakaway and tried to beat the goalie in a one-on-one. While Smart was unable to finish, she did force a penalty on the Garnet goalkeeper to set up senior Aryana Muscara for a penalty stroke.

Muscara, who had taken just one other penalty shot in her career, calmly stepped up and fired a shot off the leg of the goalie and into the cage to tie things up.

Smart, who has had a stellar start to her collegiate career, was not done making an impact as she collected a pass from Buffenbarger off a penalty corner and backhanded a shot into the left side of the goal to give Stevens a 2-1 edge with another in the 42nd minute. Smart now has a team-high four goals and an assist in her first four college games.

The Garnet responded with a goal of their own in the 55th minute when Alexandra Kelleher collected her own saved shot and fired again into the left side of the net to tie things up at 2-2.

With neither team scoring in the first overtime period, Buffenbarger made sure the Ducks would not go into penalty strokes with her big goal.

With a flare for the dramatic in every game this season thus far, the Ducks have now gone to overtime twice in their first four contests and have won both matchups. In fact, Stevens has won five of their last six overtime contests dating back to the 2019 season.

Inside the Numbers
  • Stevens held a huge edge in penalty corners with 21 compared to eight for Swarthmore.
  • The 21 penalty corners were the most for the Ducks since they earned 22 in a 3-2 win over William Paterson on Oct. 13, 2017.
  • In goal, senior Emily Franco earned the victory after playing the full 74 minutes and making six saves.
  • The Ducks also had the advantage in shots 31-13 and shots on goal 15-9.
  • Muscara was extremely efficient in the shots she took with five of her seven total shots being on goal.
  • Stevens improves to 2-1 in one-score games this season and wins their first game at DeBaun this season.
  • There were a total of 150 fouls in the game with 84 committed by the Garnet and 66 by the Ducks.
Unsung Hero
  • While she didn't net a goal, Eadie was the key distributor for the Ducks' penalty corner opportunities, collecting Muscara's initial passes and shooting them across a number of offensive options.
From the Sidelines (Head Coach Meredith Spencer-Blaetz)
  • "I am really happy about today's win. This team show a lot of grit and continued to fight through overtime. I would love to see us get it done in 60 minutes and not give up goals after we get a lead. Overall, though, a great step for the Ducks and we look forward to another big week coming up."
Up Next
  • Stevens faces off with a top-10 team on the road in their next matchup, taking on No. 9 Rowan University Wednesday, Sept. 15 at 7:00 p.m. in Glassboro, N.J.
  • The Owls have won nine of the 10 all-time matchups against the Ducks with Stevens' lone win coming in 2009.
  • Live stats and video will be available on StevensDucks.com.
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