THE BASICS:

• Score: Holy Cross 3, Dartmouth 2
• Records: Holy Cross (8-9); Dartmouth (6-8)
• Location: Worcester, Mass. (Hart Turf Field)
• The Lead: Holy Cross sophomore forward Maureen Connolly (New Canaan, Conn.) scored the game-winning goal with 3:31 left in the second half to help lead the Crusaders to a 3-2 victory over Dartmouth in non-conference field hockey action on Wednesday evening at the rain-soaked Hart Turf Field.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Dartmouth broke the stalemate early in the contest (5:48), as Rebecca Hu tipped in a shot by Brooke Van Valkenburg on a penalty corner to give the visitors the 1-0 lead.
• Holy Cross, however, responded less than one minute later (6:29). Crusader senior Katy Cronin (Franklin, Mass.) sent a pass into the middle of the circle to classmate Michelle McNeil (Canton, Mass.). McNeil then fired a pass to the left side of the circle to the stick of freshman Emily Loprete (Watertown, Mass.) who converted the one-timer to tie the game at 1-1.
• Dartmouth held the 9-2 edge in total shots in the first half and the 6-1 advantage in shots on goal.
• In the second half, Holy Cross grabbed the 2-1 lead on a penalty corner in the 38th minute (37:14). Senior Haley Makuch (Granby, Conn.) fed a pass to classmate Kaitlyn Murray (Farmington, Conn.) at the top of the circle. Murray then launched a shot on goal that found its way past Dartmouth goalkeeper Paige Duffy and into the back of the cage.
• The Big Green were able to make it a 2-2 game late in the contest (62:36). Anna Ewasechko gathered the ball in the middle of the circle and spun around a Holy Cross defender. She then slipped the ball through the five-hole of Holy Cross netminder Megan Inch (Perth, Scotland) to tie the game.
• Just under four minutes later, however, Connolly clinched the victory for the Crusaders in the 67th minute (66:29). She collected the ball at midfield and sprinted through the Dartmouth backline to the right side of the field. As soon as she entered the circle, she ripped a hard shot past Duffy and into the net to make the score its final, 3-2.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Inch and Duffy each made six saves apiece for their respective teams.
• Dartmouth held the 15-13 edge in total shots and the 6-3 advantage in penalty corner, while Holy Cross recorded 10 shots on target compared to eight for the Big Green.
• In the second half, Holy Cross held the statistical advantage in total shots (11-6), shots on goal (8-2) and penalty corners (3-1).
• Connolly led all players with four shots on goal.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• The goal for Connolly is her team-leading 10th of the campaign, as she has recorded 16 goals in her short career. She also leads Holy Cross with 26 points this season.
• Murray now has two goals on the year, while Makuch picked up her fourth assist.
• The goal for Loprete was her ninth of the season, while McNeil's assist was her fifth of the campaign.
• Holy Cross' eight wins this year are its most since the 2006 team won 14 games.
• The Crusaders snapped a six-game losing streak in the series with Dartmouth, as their last win came on Sept. 28, 2008. The Big Green lead the all-time series, 14-9.

UP NEXT:

• Holy Cross will play its final regular season game of the 2015 season at the Hart Turf Field on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 11:05 a.m. Prior to the game, the Holy Cross athletic department and the field hockey program will honor the four seniors graduating from the team in May.

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