BOSTON – In a dramatic back-and-forth game in Boston, junior Becca Frank would score the winning goal in overtime to bring the American University lacrosse team home with a victory. The Eagles topped the Terriers 12-11 behind a team-leading four goals from Frank.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Junior attackers Alyssa Apuzzo and Frank each had hat tricks going into the final frame. Frank would finish with four thanks to her shot in overtime and Apuzzo held at three while also tallying an assist. Frank now has a career-high 27 goals on the season.
• Maddy Spratt and Annabelle Jackson each added two goals to the campaign, and Spratt would get an assist to finish with three points.
• Hannah Spease would notch a goal while also grabbing an assist and a team-leading five draw controls. Sophomores Reagan Murdoch and Kellie Linehan finished with two assists and one assist respectively.
• On defense, Olivia Molfetta was a wall and would lead American with two caused turnovers and three ground balls.
• Boston University outshot American 26-21 in overall shots and 20-16 in shots on goal. The teams finished level with 13 draw controls apiece.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Boston got on the board first on their home turf, but it wasn't a lead the Terriers would hold. The Eagles pulled even 1-all with a quick dump-off goal from Frank off an assist from Linehan.
• When BU went up a minute later, it again wouldn't hold. American nabbed a goal from Apuzzo who put her defender on skates when she spun around and sank her shot. With five to go in the opening frame, it was 2-all.
• As time expired in the first, Frank got her second goal on a fast break from Spease with 0.3 seconds remaining. It was the first multi-goal run by either team.
• The Terriers would go on a 4-0 run and took the first multi-goal lead of a game, leading 6-3 with 5:11 to go before the break.
• Ending the Terriers' run was Apuzzo. She rose to the occasion off a pass from Spratt that came to her directly in front of the pipes. The goal was followed by a stellar save from goalkeeper Caleigh Forti, and a quick goal from Spratt herself, and the Eagles were down just one. That would hold for the rest of the half.
• Coming out of the halftime break, Frank got her hat trick to tie it all up. It would be a career-high 26th goal of the season for the junior. In quick response, Boston grabbed three more goals on the run and took an 9-6 lead over American with 8:27 to play in the penultimate frame.
• A pocket violation would rule one of those BU goals out, and Apuzzo would sink a goal on the opposite end with 7:47 to go in the third. The Terriers were up 8-7 until they got another goal a minute later to extend the gap yet again, leading 9-7.
• American would grab two goals to close out the third, the teams even at 9-all. First Jackson and then Spease would both score off passes from Murdoch and the sides would be even going into the final 15 minute stretch.
• Spratt scored a goal that the officials reviewed for an extended period, and American would take their first lead since early in the second period, up 10-9. A potential BU goal would go under review as well and was eventually awarded. The teams would be even again at 10-all with 10 minutes to play.
• The Terriers would get a goal to retake the 11-10 lead, but with 25 seconds left, Jackson would score her second of the day to tie the game, sending it to overtime.
• It would be Frank; Spratt would win the draw control to start overtime with an American possession and Frank would get awarded a free position shot that she converted on to give the Eagles the 12-11 victory in Boston.

NEXT UP
American will finish its regular season schedule on the road, concluding Patriot League play Thursday, April 26 at 6 p.m. when it heads to Annapolis to play Navy.

STAY CONNECTED
For the latest on AU Lacrosse, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_Lacrosse) and Instagram (@au_wlax).