This post was written by Hatchet reporter Luis Puno.
With nine seconds left in sudden-death overtime, sophomore Paul Deasey netted the game-winning goal over Chapman during the Claremont Convergence Saturday, ending the game 16-15.
Their third contest of the weekend, it was the only victory the Colonials (7-11) would post during their four-game road trip, falling to Redlands, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, and Whittier. And head coach Scott Reed said the team erupted accordingly.
“We all went wild when Deasey made the shot. I even did a double-fist pump,” Reed said.
It was a welcome change after Friday’s play, when GW suffered back-to-back losses. The Colonials struggled offensively, falling to Redlands 11-8 and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 10-5, on the first day of the tournament.
Sophomore Daniel Tyner scored the two opening goals for GW against the Redland Bulldogs but was ejected in the first quarter after an early ejection re-entry. The Bulldogs took advantage of the gap in the roster, outscoring GW 2-0 in the second quarter for a 4-2 lead at intermission.
“Daniel Tyner’s rejection definitely hurt us. It hurt our flow and the game definitely became much harder,” Reed said. “Usually the opposing team focuses their defense on Daniel, freeing some of the other guys up. We lost that edge when he was rolled.”
In the third quarter, GW netted five goals but gave up six goals to Redlands, ending the game in a three-goal hole that tallied their first loss on the weekend.
GW faced Claremont-Mudd-Scripps later Friday night, falling 10-5 despite an impressive three goals from freshman Brian Mojica and three assists from Tyner. The Colonials trailed just two points behind in the second quarter, but a 5-1 run from the Stags gave the hosts their largest lead at 9-3 with six minutes and 37 seconds remaining. It was another game where GW struggled offensively, converting only five of 24 shot opportunities. The team’s challenges can be traced back to one downfall, said Reed- their young roster.
“The biggest factor in our losses is our lack of experience,” Reed said. “We made big mistakes that cost us easy goals.”
The Colonials opened Saturday play against Chapman, jumping out to an early lead only to see Chapman come back and knot the game at 12 with just 18 seconds remaining in regulation. GW clung to a one-goal lead at the midpoint of overtime, but an ill-timed Colonials turnover led to the Panthers tying the score and forcing sudden-death overtime. Each team failed to score on their first opportunities of sudden death, but GW grabbed possession with 30 seconds to play, giving Deasey the opportunity to net the game-winner with nine seconds left, securing the victory.
GW’s sudden-death overtime luck didn’t last long. Later Saturday, the Colonials fell 8-9 in a double sudden-death overtime match to Whittier. The game was close throughout play, neither team leading by more than a goal during the entire contest. The teams were knotted at seven at the end of regulation, and traded goals in overtime before GW forced sudden death with just 53 seconds left to play. The Colonials survived the first sudden-death period but surrendered the game-winning goal with 92 seconds left in the second session.
Despite leaving California with a disappointing record, Reed remained positive when reflecting on the weekend’s record.
“I’m overall pleased on how my team performed,” Reed said. “These were a tough four teams. We were in most of the games and we kept our composure. We’re going to finish the season strong,”
GW next hosts Navy Oct. 12 at 8:15 p.m.