Volleyball: Muhlenberg played two matches on its Fall Break trip to Texas, but neither of them counted on the team’s record. The Mules beat a junior varsity squad in five sets, then lost to Huston-Tillotson, 3-1, in a match that was played using NAIA rules instead of NCAA rules.

ANOTHER LATE GOAL LIFTS FIELD HOCKEY

It might just be time to start calling the Muhlenberg field hockey team the Cardiac Mules.

Muhlenberg went down to the wire again on Friday night – the team’s fifth game this season decided in the last four minutes or overtime – to defeat Widener 2-1 at Scotty Wood Stadium. Senior Nicki Notarianni scored the game winner with just 2:06 to play to lift the Mules to an exciting come-from-behind victory.

“They were a really physical team, but we just kept pushing through,” said junior Amanda DiMarco. “We knew if we kept working hard and making good passes it would work out.”

The Pride kept play in the Mules’ end for much of the first half, outshooting Muhlenberg 5-3, and took a 1-0 lead at the 28:52 mark.

Notarianni’s game-winning goal gave her 63 career points, moving her into seventh place on the Mules’ all-time list.

Less than two minutes later, senior Tara Cohn tied things up for the Mules. Junior Jess Kasza found Cohn with a pass a few yards inside the circle, and Cohn blasted it home for her sixth goal of the season.

The Mules came out a completely different team in the second half, controlling play and creating numerous scoring opportunities. Muhlenberg outshot Widener 11-1 in the second period and enjoyed an 8-0 advantage in penalty corners.

“We just realized we needed to step our game up,” said DiMarco. “When we see a team is outplaying us we get really intense, and that got us going.”

But despite getting going, the Mules stayed true to their recent flair for the dramatic and didn’t break the tie until the closing moments of the game, when Notarianni knocked in the rebound off a shot by freshman Kiara Santana with just over two minutes remaining.

“That was an awesome way to cap off a really big win,” said DiMarco.

With another dramatic victory in the books, Muhlenberg is ready to resume conference play when it travels to Haverford on Wednesday.

“We’re feeling really good having won three in a row,” said DiMarco. “We still have lots to work on, but we’re really confident and ready to go in conference play.”

Click the video link to see the two goals.
Click here for box score.