Gettysburg, PA… Gettysburg College fought off a furious rally by The College of New Jersey women's lacrosse team as the Bullets held on for a 13-12 overtime win on Thursday.
 
The 11^th-ranked Lions scored erased a five-goal deficit at the half and scored the last four goals of regulation to send the game into overtime.
 
After comeback in regulation, TCNJ was seconds away from staging another. With the hosts leading 13-12 in the final seconds of overtime, junior Cortney Natalicchio (New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt) laced a shot into the Gettysburg net, but it was ruled on the field that the horn sounded before the ball went as the Bullets came away with the victory.
 
This marked the fourth time already this season the fourth-ranked Bullets (4-1) have faced a ranked opponent, while it was the first for the Lions (3-2).
 
Each team scored in the first half of the six-minute overtime with Gettysburg going up 12-11 only 12 seconds into the extra period. TCNJ countered with 1:51 left when senior Ava Fitzgerald (Merrick, NY/Calhoun) tied the score.
 
At the midway point of overtime, the teams switched ends of the field and went to midfield for a draw control. The hosts won that draw and went back in front with a goal from Mandy Buell with 2:17 left. That turned out to be the only score in the latter half of the period and was the game winner.
 
Senior Kendal Borup (Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro South) paced the Lions with five goals and two assists, while Natalicchio scored four times.
 
Gettysburg never trailed in the first period as they scored twice in a span of 36 seconds in the opening half, with the first of those coming 1:33 into the contest.
 
TCNJ cut that difference in half when Borup tallied unassisted.
 
After the hosts led 4-1, Borup again scored cutting the gap to two. The Bullets then scored four of the next five goals to take an 8-3 lead into the final minute.
 
The final minute saw two more goals go up on the scoreboard with Borup getting her third of the game with 46 seconds left on an assist from Fitzgerald. Gettysburg won the ensuing draw control and got the goal right back nine seconds later as they led 9-4 at the half.
 
Both defenses took charge early in the second half as neither team scored in the initial eight-plus minutes of the period. TCNJ finally broke that scoreless stretch on a free-position shot by Borup that came with 21:30 showing on the clock. That goal was her 20^th of the season.
 
The Lion defense set up the next goal as sophomore keeper Kelly Schlupp (Holland, PA/Council Rock South made a save, turning the ball back over to the offense. Natalicchio picked up her second of the game. That goal came 1:11 after Borup's goal and cut TCNJ's deficit to 9-6.
 
Gettysburg scored its first goal of the half with 18:52 left, but freshman Amanda Muller (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) came right back for the Lions to make it 10-7.
 
The Bullets added one more goal before the end of the half to make it 13:14, but the Lions controlled the remainder of regulation play. Borup scored with 7:47 left and Natalicchio then scored back-to-back goals making it a one-goal difference. TCNJ got the equalizer with 1:28 left as Fitzgerald cashed in on a feed from Borup.
 
TCNJ's defense made one last stand in the final minute as Schlupp made a save and freshman Elizabeth Morrison (Stonington, CT/Stonington) drew an offensive foul turning the ball back over to the Lions setting the stage for overtime.
 
TCNJ will look to bounce back in its next game as they head to Ursinus College on Tuesday, March 24 to take on the Bears at 7 p.m.