Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. - Behind an overtime goal by Alexis Esbitt, the University of Delaware field hockey team picked up its first conference win of the season by defeating Virginia Commonwealth, 2-1, during a Colonial Athletic Association bout at Rullo Stadium on an overcast Sunday afternoon.

With just under three minutes remaining in the first overtime, Kimmy Schlezes (at right - 22) hit Esbitt (at right - 31) with a beautiful pass that she tipped into the cage for her third goal of the season.

The victory helped the Hens continue their winning ways against the Rams. Delaware (2-7, 1-1 CAA) has won all eight contests against VCU (4-6, 0-2) since the two schools first met in 2001. It is the second straight game between the two teams that has gone into overtime, however, after the Hens posted a 5-4 double-overtime win in Richmond last year.

With the contest dead-locked at one entering the overtime period, Delaware was the aggressor in the early part of the extra session. The Hens posted two early shots and kept the ball in the VCU zone, but the team was unable to score.

Following the attack, Delaware was slowed by a 35-minute lightning delay as well as an impressive VCU onslaught in the middle of the first overtime that saw the Rams earn three straight penalty corners. Despite the attack, the Delaware defense weathered the storm, using two saves by Nikki Rhoades to turn away every Ram shot.

Eventually, with time running out in the first overtime, junior back Rae Everson made an impressive play to set up the game-winning goal. After taking control of the ball near midfield, she hit Schlezes with a great pass to set up a breakaway. With only the goalie to beat, Schlezes got VCU's Laura Baker out of the cage before finding Esbitt in front of the net to seal the victory.

With the win, Delaware improves to 1-1 on the season in overtime games. During the Blue Hen Classic, the squad fell to Ohio State, 2-1, in double-overtime.

Early in the contest, the game proved to be a defensive struggle as the two teams battled to a 0-0 draw for the first 29 minutes of action. The Delaware defense limited the Rams to just three shots during that span, while VCU stopped all seven of the Hens' shots, including two lasers by Florence Sijbrandij.

Finally, with five minutes left in the half, Delaware earned a penalty stroke following a shot by Esbitt. Sijbrandij took the free shot and hammered a blast into the lower-left corner of the cage to put the team up, 1-0.

After halftime, Virginia Commonwealth came out on the attack, earning three penalty corners and posting three shots in the first six minutes of play. Following their third penalty corner of the half, the Rams' Marle Dessel uncorked a shot in front of the cage before Rosan van Eijkelenburg got her stick on the ball, deflecting it just enough to get it by Rhoades.

Although both teams had their opportunities to end the game in regulation, the defenses stood tough once again, holding the two offenses without a goal over the last 28 minutes of action in the second half.

Rhoades finished the day with 10 saves for Delaware, marking her fourth double-digit save effort of the season.

The Blue Hens will return to action on Friday when they travel to William & Mary to continue CAA action at 7 p.m.