Eight is Enough: Beauchemin Scores Eight as No. 19 Central Florida Stuns No. 12 Utah 9-8 OT SD in National Collegiate Club First Round

Blaire Martin

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Stephanie Beauchemin (Sr., Sanford, Fla.) scored eight goals, including the game-winner 1:12 into sudden death overtime on an exclusion opportunity, to lead No.19-ranked the University of Central Florida to a 9-8 sudden death overtime victory over No. 12-ranked the University of Utah in the opening round of the 2010 Women's National Collegiate Club Championship at the University of Arizona.

Trailing 2-0 after the first period of play as Utah's Emily Haws (So., Redlands, Calif.) and Mandy Meridith-Dunlop (Gr., Salt Lake City, Utah) blasted shots into the twine at the 4:55 and 10 seconds marks of opening frame, Central Florida saw Utah open a 3-0 lead as Haws struck again at the 6:37 mark of the second period with a man-up goal.

The Lady Knights began to climb back into the competition as Beauchemin unleashed a shot which eluded Utah goalie Sarah Clos (Jr., Salt Lake City, Utah) at the 6:23 mark.  Central Florida and Utah traded tallies to the halftime horn as Ashley Spicer Fr., Salt Lake City, Utah) chipped in a marker at 27 seconds for the Utes and Beauchemin added her second score with 16 seconds left in the half to set the margin at 4-2 in favor of Utah at the break.

Utah and UCF traded blows in the third period as the Lady Knights pulled to within one at 4-3 with a man-up tally by Beauchemin at 6:24, but Utah responded with a rising shot from Meridith-Dunlop at the 4:25 mark to construct the lead back to two at 5-3.  The volleying continued throughout the remainder of the period as Beauchemin scored at 4:11, Utah's Katie Maasberg (Sr., Salt Lake City) found the cage at 3:47 and Beauchemin tallied another marker at 1:13 to set the score at 6-5 in favor of Utah through 21 minutes.

Following nearly five minutes of scoreless play, UCF tied the game with 2:03 remaining in regulation on Beauchemin's sixth goal of the day.  The Utes went back in front with a man-up score by Adri Pachelli (Jr., Salt Lake City, Utah), but the Lady Knights countered 14 seconds later on a natural marker by Stefanie Clark (So., Altamonte Springs, Fla.) to pull even and bring on overtime.

Neither team was able to break through in the first OT period before Megan Raby (Jr., Salt Lake City, Utah) drilled a shot into the cage at the 2:04 mark of the second overtime frame to put the Utes ahead 8-7.  However, Clark faked a shot and dumped a pass off to Beauchemin for her fifth goal of the day with 50 seconds remaining in overtime to force sudden death.

In the three-minute sudden death period, neither team could convert before Beauchemin swam down the left wing and kissed a shot off the inside edge of the near post and into the net for the swim-off game-winner.

In cage, Sarah Clos (Jr., Salt Lake City, Utah) made four saves for Utah, while Blaire Martin (Sr., Altamonte Springs, Fla.) turned aside 10 shots for the Lady Knights.

Central Florida advances to face No. 6-ranked the University of Oregon, a 14-5 victor over Illinois State University in an earlier first round game, at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 24 with a berth in the semifinals on the line.  Utah will next be in action at 7:30 p.m. this evening in the consolation bracket against Illinois State.

Utah Goals: Emily Haws (2); Mandy Meridith-Dunlop (2); Adri Pachelli; Katie Maasberg; Megan Raby; Ashley Spicer 

UCF Goals: Stephanie Beauchemin (8); Stefanie Clark

Saves: Utah - Sarah Clos (4) ; UCF - Blaire Martin (10)

Exclusions: Utah - 10 ; UCF - 6

Advantage Opportunities: Utah - 2-for-6 ; UCF - 3-for-10

Sprints: Utah - 4-for-7 ; UCF - 3-for-7