VIRGINIA BEACH -- A steady stream of substitutes throughout Saturday's field hockey competition at Virginia Wesleyan College definitely paid off for the host Marlins.

As VWC battled into the second overtime period with the Bobcats of Frostburg State University, the Marlins still had a little pep in the step against a tiring FSU squad.  That resulted in Virginia Wesleyan dominating action in the extra stanzas en route to posting a thrilling 2-1 double OT victory on Marlins Field.

Sophomore Taylor Marshall (Marion, Md./Crisfield Academy) scored the winning goal in the 89th minute of play, knocking the ball into the left corner off a pass from sophomore Asia Allen (St. Louis, Mo./Pattonville).  The goal was the first of the season for Marshall.

Virginia Wesleyan (2-3) outshot Frostburg State 5-3 in the extra sessions and posted a 4-1 advantage in penalty corners. Caitlyn Hogge (Newport News/Warwick), Skye Winship (Virginia Beach/Ocean Lakes), Danielle Pellerin (Long Valley, N.J./Chester West Morris), andBryn Ammon (Parkersburg, Pa./Coatesville) helped to control matters for the Marlins, who played a step ahead of the 'Cats throughout most of the OT competition.

It was a reversal of action in the second half as Frostburg State (2-4) played an more aggressive game to overcome a 1-0 deficit.  Courtney Abell (Leonardtown, Md./Leonardtown), Kathryn Bickerstaff (Gambrills, Md./South River), Alexandra Darrow (Chesapeake/Western Branch), and Jackie Best (Fairfax Station/South County) were among the leaders for FSU which outshot VWC 8-3 in the half.

VWC senior goalie Lindsay Baker (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) stopped a pair of shots in the half, but Frostburg State got the score it needed in the 46th minute.  The Bobcats drove in for a shot that was stopped, but FSU was awarded a penalty stroke on the play and Darrow directed a shot into the right corner of the cage to tie the game.

The 1-1 tie carried through the remainder of regulation play as both teams came up with key defensive plays, including Tanya Puccio (Moorpark, Calif./Moorpark) and Jenny Wilkins (Chesapeake/Virginia Beach Bishop Sullivan Catholic) for the Marlins and Ashley Johnson (Poway, Calif./Poway) for FSU.

Virginia Wesleyan scored first in the game as Ammon knocked the ball in from the left side.  Her initial shot was turned away by FSU goalie Jacqueline Gover (King George/King George), but the ball was picked up by Allen who tapped it over to Ammon for the shot and score.

Baker finished with eight saves for VWC and Gover recorded four for FSU.

VWC has little time to celebrate however, as the Marlins return to competition on Sunday, Sept. 14, taking on Maryland's Washington College Shorewomen at 1 p.m.  Washington is currently 4-0 and has had a week off since a 6-2 win over Frostburg State in the championship game of the FSU Invitational.

--AMDG--