POTSDAM, N.Y.—Morrisville State (3-1) rallied in the second half for a 9-8 overtime victory against the SUNY Potsdam women's lacrosse team (2-3) on Thursday afternoon. Senior captains Murphy Newman (Canton, N.Y./Berkshire School) and Katie Lapinski (Canton, N.Y./Hugh C. Williams) led the Bears with three and two goals, respectively. Junior attack Gianna Branca (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) led the Mustangs with a game-high five points on four goals and one assist.
 
Branca sandwiched two goals around tallies by Newman and sophomore midfielder Meaghan Paige (Carthage, N.Y./Carthage) to forge a 2-2 tie at 12:54 of the first half. Newman and freshman attack Alli Stark (Walworth, N.Y./Gananda) scored in succession at 11:12 and 7:30 to put Potsdam up 4-2, but Morrisville answered with three straight. Branca scored two in a row including a man-up goal at 5:59 to begin the run. Junior attack Brianna DelColle (Huntington, N.Y./Walt Whitman) made it 5-4 Mustangs at 3:43. Lapinski scored her first with 1:10 on the clock to send the teams into the half tied at 5-5.
 
She then scored a man-up goal to put the Bears back in front at 22:30 of the second half. Junior attack Morgan Cook (Oswego, N.Y./Oswego) struck at 17:04 and Newman completed the hat trick at 14:22 to give Potsdam its biggest lead of the day at 8-5. However, the Bears couldn't shake Morrisville. Junior attack Celia Abbott (Shortsville, N.Y./Red Jacket High) started the comeback at 11:09 and senior defender Jordan Anderson (West Edmenston, N.Y./Unadilla Valley) made it 8-7 with 7:46 remaining. With about a minute left, the Mustangs forced a turnover and called timeout. With 37 seconds on the clock, Abbott was fouled and tied the game on a free position. Potsdam had one final chance in regulation as sophomore midfielder Cayla O'Connor (Dexter, N.Y./General Brown) grabbed the ensuing draw control and fired a shot off the crossbar with 21 seconds left.
 
After a scoreless three minutes in overtime, Morrisville sophomore Courtney Cavellier (Rodman, N.Y./South Jefferson) seized the final draw control. At 2:41, Branca found Cavellier cutting to the net and she buried the game-winner.
 
Bears sophomore goalie Katie Longamore (Dexter, N.Y./General Brown) finished with five saves and Mustangs junior goalie Kallie George (Tully, N.Y./Tully) stopped seven shots for the win.
 
Potsdam outshot Morrisville 21-16 and finished with a 21-14 advantage in ground balls. O'Connor had a game-high five draw controls.
 
The Bears are back in action on Monday when they head to Oneonta for a 4 p.m. battle with Hartwick College.