Panthers Drop Overtime Thriller, 12-11, in Second ACC Contest

Saturday, March 5

Pittsburgh, PA

1:00 PM

Pitt

3-3, 0-2

Virginia Tech

4-3, 1-1

OT 1

OT 2

Virginia Tech

Pitt

Photo by: Matt Hawley/Pitt Athletics

Panthers Drop Overtime Thriller, 12-11, in Second ACC Contest

3/5/2022 6:53:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

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PITTSBURGH –The Pitt Lacrosse team got off to a fast start and battled throughout the day before dropping a heart-breaking 12-11 double-overtime decision to Virginia Tech Saturday afternoon at Highmark Stadium. Graduate transfer Paige Petty scored five goals for the second consecutive game and added an assist and eight draw controls to pace the Panther attack.

"We were better than we were our last game, but good isn't good enough," said head coach Emily Boissonneault. "We have to acknowledge that and embrace the next opportunity."

Pitt jumped out to a 7-2 lead after the end of the first quarter behind the inspired play of Petty. A four-time All-America selection while with the Hokies, Petty scored the opening goal in the opening 1:10 of play off an assist from Madisyn Kittell. Kate Elam continued her excellence from the eight-meter mark with a free position goal 29 seconds later to spot the Panthers to the 2-0 lead.

Virginia Tech countered with their first goal at the 12:11 mark, but the Panthers returned the favor with three consecutive goals. Petty fed Chloe Jones for her fifth goal of the year to start the run, while Kittell found the back of the net at the 8:09 mark and Petty scored off a feed from Kierin Ratliff-Kailbourne with 5:57 left to push the lead to 5-1.

Following a Virginia Tech goal with 4:27 left, Pitt scored twice in the final two minutes with Petty and Kittell beating the keeper to stake the Panthers to a 7-2 lead after 15 minutes of action.

The Hokies stymied the Pitt offense in the second quarter and scored three times to trim the deficit to 7-5 at the midway point.

Petty tallied her fourth goal at the 10:48 mark of the third quarter to stop a four-goal run by Virginia Tech, but the Hokies responded with two goals in the next 1:15 of clock time to tie the score at 8-8. The Panthers entered the fourth quarter with a 9-8 lead thanks to a late Carlie Leach goal, her ninth of the season.

In the final period of regulation, Virginia Tech again went on a scoring run with three goals in a row, bringing the score to 11-9 in their favor. Pitt rallied back to tie the contest at 11 as Petty put in number five on the day and Emily Coughlin scored only her second this season. Goalie Paulina DiFatta made two saves down the stretch to give the Panthers the chance they needed to extend the game.

In the first half of the first overtime, both teams had offensive possessions, but each goalie made a key save to give their teams another chance. Jones got a free position chance in the second part of overtime number one but once again Virginia Tech goalie, Morgan Berman, made a big stop.

The action extended to a second overtime in which Pitt won the opening draw control. Petty put another shot on frame, but Berman made eleventh and final save of the night. The Hokies scored the decisive game winner 2:56 into the second overtime frame, Olivia Vergano's 13^th of the season.

The Panthers played tough defense all day, with DiFatta stopping eight Hokie shots and ten different Panthers with at least one caused turnover.

Pitt heads out on the road for its next game, an ACC matchup at Duke on Thursday, March 10 at 6 p.m.