Box Score SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- The Notre Dame Falcons battled through injuries, wind, snow, and sub-freezing temperatures in a 13-12 victory over Urbana at Normandy Field on Friday afternoon.
Notre Dame (2-3, 1-0 MEC) has won five in a row at home after winning their Mountain East Conference opener, while Urbana (0-5, 0-1) has lost five in a row to the Falcons.
The Falcons were able to withstand the weather, and a late surge by the Blue Knights, who scored with seven seconds remaining on the contest, before Notre Dame won the ensuing draw control to run out the clock and secure the victory.
Things started very well for the Falcons, who controlled the first 15 minutes of the contest. During that stretch, the Falcons went on a 6-0 run, with four different Falcons scoring during that stretch.
Darbie Barkman and
Emilia Ferrara both scored twice during that run.
Urbana turned things around quickly at the 10:42-mark in the first half, when they scored their first goal of the contest, and that kick-started a 4-0 run over the next seven minutes of the game, to pull them within two (6-4) before
Brooke Czarnecki scored her second goal of the game, ending the run with 3:11 left in the contest.
The Blue Knights were able to use an 11-2 advantage in draw controls to help them stay well within striking distance in the opening half, as they trailed by just two (7-5) at the break.
In the second half, Urbana remained close, never trailing by more than three goals, but they were never able to tie the Falcons, who maintained a lead throughout the entire contest.
With the contest hanging in the balance, Notre Dame picked up a number of big saves down the stretch from goalkeeper
Lauren Ragsdale, who turned away 13 shots on the afternoon. In addition, the Falcons were able to put the game away with goals in the final four minutes from both Barkman and Czarnecki.
Barkman scored with 3:36 remaining in the contest before the Blue Knights came right back with a goal 95 seconds later to make it a 12-11 contest. With 30 seconds remaining, Czarnecki scored on a free position shot to give the Falcons a 13-11 lead, before Urbana scored with just seven seconds. Barkman won the ensuing draw control to put the game away.
Czarnecki led the way for NDC with six goals on the day, and added a trio of ground balls as well as two caused turnovers. Barkman added three goals and an assist, while Ferrara had three goals as well and tied for the team lead in ground balls with four.
The Falcons are in action again on Sunday, March 29, when they head to Shepherdstown, W.Va., for a Mountain East Conference road tilt. The contest is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.
