SPARKS, Md. – After losing to No. 4 ranked Le Moyne College (4-0) on Thursday, the No. 12 ranked Regis University women's lacrosse team (4-2) earned a 16-15 overtime win against the No. 22 ranked Grand Valley State University Lakers (1-2) on Saturday night.
 
How It Happened: Sophomore Ali Vanek exploded for nine points in the game which included the game-winning golden goal that gave Regis a 16-15 win.
 
The Rangers outplayed the Lakers early on which led to a 6-5 advantage midway through the opening 16:30 of the game. GVSU responded with three-straight goals to end the period, giving the Lakers a two-goal advantage heading into halftime.
 
GVSU picked up where they left off, scoring the first goal of the second half to extend their lead to three goals, 9-6, their largest of the game. Vanek netted her second goal of the game to cut the lead to two, but the Lakers answered right back with a goal of their own to make the score 10-7.
 
Vanek was relentless as she went right back to work, combining with freshman Kyleigh Peoples to score three-straight goals, tying the game at ten goals apiece with 12:43 left in the game. The game went back and forth between the two squads. Vanek put RU ahead 15-14 late in the second half, but GVSU scored with 41 seconds left in regulation, forcing an overtime period.
 
In the overtime period, both sides had chances to find the game winner, but the final goal came with 28 seconds left in the first overtime period. With possession in offensive territory, Regis worked the ball around the outside of their formation. The ball found the web of Vanek who came darting across, she then drove past her defender and unleashed a shot that went right by the GVSU goalkeeper to give the Rangers a much needed 16-15 win over a top-25 team.
 
Game Notes: it took a full team effort, with many players contributing both offensively and defensively, but it was Vanek who lit up the stat sheet with seven goals, two assists, nine points, one ground ball and an insanely clutch shot to win the game. Junior Sarah Myres added four goals and three assists in the game, with Peoples recording two goals, four assists, two ground balls, two caused turnovers and one draw control.
 
It was a very tightly contested game on the stat sheet, but RU held advantages in shots (37-36), shots on goal (30-27), turnovers (24-25), ground balls (28-27) and most importantly goals (16-15).  
 
Up Next for the Rangers: The women's lacrosse team will play their next game at home against the Colorado State University – Pueblo ThunderWolves on March 18 at 1 p.m. on the Regis Lacrosse Field.