ERIE, Pa. – The Mercyhurst College Lakers came up just shy today (Oct.22) in what was a 2OT thriller. No. 6 West Chester University deflected a corner kick off a Mercyhurst player with four minutes remaining to pull off the win, 3-2.

Mercyhurst outshot the No.6 team in the country in the first half, 9-3 but was out gained in corner kicks, 3-1. Within the first ten minutes of the game both teams had chalked up a tally. The Lakers struck first at the 4:52 mark when senior Jamie Schroter kicked a ball in from the corner and was headed home by sophomore Sara Hawksworth, giving the Lakers a 1-0 lead. The lead didn't last long as West Chester then scored off their own corner kick; Lara Bodenstab received the kick from Jessica Bennett and booted the ball past Laker goalie junior Rachel Griepsma.

The Golden Rams took charge in the second half of play outshooting the Lakers, 8-4 and holding the corner kick advantage, 3-1. The Lakers again struck first out of the locker room, with the same combination that netted the first goal of the game. Hawksworth again received a lofted corner kick from Schroter and headed it in for her third goal on the season and her second of the game. West Chester knotted things up at 2-2, 17 minutes later in the 70th minute of play when Bennett struck the ball from 30 yards out and placed it into the top shelf off of Griepsma's finger tips. Regulation time would end and the score would remain, 2-2.

In the first OT West Chester outshot the Lakers by four, 5-1 and held a slight advantage in corner kicks, 1-0. The first OT ended with neither team netting the game winner. Both teams came out eager in the 2OT, but it was the No.6 Golden Rams that prevailed. Off yet another important corner kick, Sarah Oswald of West Chester netted her 12th tally of the season and what would be the game winner when she rifled the ball towards the goal and caught a lucky break when the ball ricocheted off a Mercyhurst player. 

The Lakers played a hard fought battle in a game that could have went both ways, much credit goes to their defense and goal keeper Griepsma who had eight saves in the contest. Griepsma's record with the loss moves to 6-9-1 on the year.

Mercyhurst is back in action tomorrow (Oct. 23) against Millersville University, this will mark the first time the two teams have met in school history. Live stats will be available for the game, click here.