more from the weekend

The Muhlenberg men’s lacrosse team likes overtime. Three of the Mules’ last four wins, dating back to last season’s finale, have come in the fifth period.

Muhlenberg won its second straight overtime game Saturday at Kings Point, 8-7, scoring the winning goal just 17 seconds into the extra period. Last Saturday, the Mules needed all of 58 seconds to end the

Hollander has eight points already this season after scoring six all of last year.

Centenary game. The last ’Berg team to win back-to-back games in overtime was women’s soccer in 2001.

“You get a little more adrenaline and a little more focus [in overtime],” said sophomore Justin Hollander, who scored the game-winner at Centenary and assisted on the Kings Point walk-off goal. “You want to win, and you know that if you screw up you could lose.”

Hollander’s assist to freshman John Kushay yesterday ended a game that, from a Muhlenberg perspective, probably should not have gone to overtime. The Mules dominated the first half, with a 23-10 advantage in shots, but led only 4-3. The Mariners scored several fluke goals, one off a steal right in front of the goal cage, one off a deflected pass that bounced right to a Kings Point attackman in good scoring position and one on a rebound that tipped off a Muhlenberg stick and into the net.

The Mules scored an unusual goal of their own at the end of the third period, when Kings Point, instead of running off the final nine seconds, threw a long clearing pass up for grabs. Freshman Steve Toto intercepted the ball and threw a long pass back down the field to sophomore James Robinson, who beat the Mariner goalie to tie the score at 6-6.

“When we tied it back up at the end of the third period I felt it was going to be our game,” remarked Hollander. “When we get that intensity back up we’re hard to beat.”

In its second varsity season, Muhlenberg is off to a 3-1 start and has two home games this week, against first-year-varsity Moravian (in Monday’s makeup game) and Wesley (Wednesday). The Mules are scheduled to open Centennial Conference play against eighth-ranked Gettysburg the following Wednesday.

“This was a pretty good team we beat,” said Hollander of Kings Point. “If we can keep this up we’ll do all right in the conference.”

• Women’s Tennis: Washington & Lee 8, Muhlenberg 1. The Mules got a closeup look at the elite of Division III, taking on the second-ranked defending national runner-up.

Muhlenberg (3-2) stayed close in doubles competition. The duo of senior Mackenzie Parke and freshman Pam Kimmelman remained undefeated for the spring with an 8-5 win at No. 2, and the third doubles team of junior Emily Oster and senior Sarah Niebler took its match to a tiebreaker before losing.

Singles was a different story, however, as W&L (16-1) won all six matches in straight sets, all but two decisively. The top five players in the W&L lineup are all ranked in the top 20 in the Atlantic South Region.

Of the Generals’ 17 opponents, Muhlenberg is just the seventh to avoid a 9-0 shutout.

Click here for box score.

• Men’s Tennis: Washington (Md.) 7, Muhlenberg 0. Washington, ranked 18th in Division III, extended its Centennial Conference winning streak to 82 with a blanking of the Mules (2-2).

Muhlenberg did win a match at second doubles, as sophomores Brad Gutwillig and Adam Nodiff pulled out an 8-6 victory. It was only the second win ever for the Mules against the Shoremen in a completed match; the other was at No. 6 singles in 1997.

Click here for box score.