Recap: Levy delivers thrilling victory for Team Apuzzo in shootout

Team Apuzzo overcame a late rally from Team Bosco to force overtime and used a pair of markers in the shootout to earn a 7-6 victory at USA Lacrosse Headquarters and remain undefeated in the penultimate week of the season.

Goalkeeper Caylee Waters earned MVP 1 honors after an outstanding effort in goal with 13 saves, including eight in the first half and two in the overtime period. Waters, who also thwarted both of Team Bosco’s shootout attempts, collected a caused turnover and finished the afternoon with 183 leaderboard points.

Apuzzo secured Game MVP recognition for the sixth time in eight games this season after scoring twice during regulation in addition to the eventual game-winning marker in the shootout. The former Boston College standout tallied 112 leaderboard points to reclaim the league lead.

Attacker Sam Geiersbach added two goals for Team Apuzzo, which outshot Team Bosco by a 34-24 margin.

Midfielder Marie McCool paced Team Bosco in the loss with three goals in the second half, claiming MVP 2 distinction after igniting the comeback bid. McCool, who also added four ground balls and a caused turnover, finished the game with 114 leaderboard points.

Goalkeeper Britt Read anchored a strong defensive effort in the loss for Team Bosco with 13 saves while attacker Alex Aust Holman scored twice, including the game-tying marker with 3:38 remaining.

KEY MOMENT

Team Bosco forced the extra time by scoring three goals in the final eight minutes of regulation, including a pair of tallies from Aust Holman. After a scoreless overtime period, Apuzzo gave her team a 1-0 lead in the opening round of the shootout before attacker Nicole Levy’s try in the third round snuck past Read to secure the victory after Team Bosco failed to convert its two attempts.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Apuzzo retook the top spot on the leaderboard and holds a 99-point edge over goalkeeper Taylor Moreno pending the outcome of the second game between Team Moreno and Team Glynn on Saturday evening. Waters, meanwhile, surged ahead 10 spots on the leaderboard and stands fifth in the league standings with 828 points.

GAME NOTES

• Team Bosco and Team Apuzzo combined to register four assists in Saturday’s first game, upping the league’s season total to 100 assists through 15 games … Aspiration is committed to planting 10 trees for every assist as part of its ‘Aspiration Assists’ initiative.

• Saturday’s game marked the sixth overtime affair in Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse history, including the first this season … It was also the second game in league history to require a shootout.

• Team Bosco initiated a captain’s challenge for a dangerous follow through on Apuzzo’s goal with 6:29 remaining in the first quarter … The challenge was unsuccessful and Apuzzo’s goal stood.

• Seven of the first 15 games this season have been decided by a single point after Saturday’s clash between Team Bosco and Team Apuzzo.

• Apuzzo now stands 17-3 all-time as a captain, including an impressive 7-1 mark this season … She has won her last six games as a team captain.

• Read notched the 10th career double-digit save effort of her Athletes Unlimited career, while Waters owns seven career games with 10 or more stops.

• McCool registered her 19th career multi-goal game, including her sixth career hat trick in Athletes Unlimited play.

• Apuzzo has posted a league-record 27 career multi-goal games while netting at least one goal in 34-of-35 career games.

GAME MVPS

• #1 – Caylee Waters (Team Apuzzo, +45)
• #2 – Marie McCool (Team Bosco, +30)
• #3 – Sam Apuzzo (Team Apuzzo, +15)