Team Glynn tops Team Wood 13-11 in close battle

© Athletes Unlimited, LLC 2021 / Credit: Kait Devir
Ellie Kinney
Aug 15, 2021

After an exciting contest between Team Cummings and Team Arsenault earlier in the day, Team Wood and Team Glynn met on Sunday afternoon each seeking their second win of the weekend. It was a nail-biter the whole way, with multiple lead changes and a tie late in the fourth quarter. Team Glynn ultimately bested Team Wood after Shayna Pirreca scored a 2-point goal late.

Here are the biggest moments from the matchup between Team Glynn and Team Wood:

The game got off to a bit of a slow start, but Haley Warden continued her strong weekend with a floater over the reach of Mira Shane as the shot clock wound down, putting Team Wood up 1-0.

Shortly after, Cortney Fortunato launched a rocket from well behind the 8-meter line to score a 2-point goal. This put Team Glynn up 2-1.

Shane continued Team Glynn’s momentum with a pair of excellent back-to-back saves, keeping the score 2-1.

With just under 90 seconds left in the quarter, Sam Apuzzo received a pass from Michelle Tumolo and buried it past Shane, tying the game at two goals apiece. Alyssa Parrella continued Team Wood’s momentum, taking advantage of a defensive miscue by Team Glynn to score off a quick cut from behind the goal.

Apuzzo worked her magic again with five seconds left, scoring her league-leading 23rd goal of the season and her second of the game. This put Team Wood up 4-2 at the end of the first quarter.

To open up the second quarter, Parrella beat the defender and notched her second goal of the game, putting Team Wood up 5-2.

After Team Wood scored four unanswered goals, Taylor Hensh scored for Team Glynn on a bounce shot to make it 5-3. Katie O’Donnell added to Team Glynn’s run immediately after off the draw, cutting Team Wood’s lead to one.

Parrella secured an early hat trick with a dive toward the goal, putting Team Wood up 6-4. Parrella tried to add to her stellar day with a 2-point shot, but Shane went into the splits to make her fifth save of the day.

With just under two minutes left in the half, Ally Kennedy made a tremendous catch and bounced it past Haley Hicklen to bring Team Glynn within one.

Kayla Treanor scored the equalizer for Team Glynn with a sneak from behind the cage. However, Apuzzo answered with her third goal of the game, shooting a rocket into the back of the net.

With just over ten seconds left, Kennedy scored her second goal of the game to tie the game once again. In a nail-biter of a matchup between Team Wood and Team Glynn, the score remained tied 7-7 at the half.

To start the second half, Fortunato cut in from behind the goal and buried a shot past Angie Benson, giving Team Glynn a one-goal lead.

With just under four minutes remaining in the third, Ella Simkins took the ball a long way down the field and finished on the other end, becoming the first Athletes Unlimited defender with two goals on the season.

As the shot clock was winding down, Warden rolled around the defender and found a lane for a bounce shot into the back of the net, putting Team Wood up 9-8. That effort caused her team to win the third quarter, and hold a one-goal lead going into the final frame.

It was a tight game going into the fourth quarter, but Tumolo quickly put Team Wood up by two with a quick split to the right and perfect finish.

When Team Glynn needed a clutch player to step up, Treanor did what she always does and put her team back in the game. Grace Gabriel added on with the equalizer just seven seconds later off a pass from Kennedy.

Off a relay from Treanor, Kennedy secured the hat trick with a rocket past Benson, continuing Team Glynn’s momentum at the right time and giving her team the one-goal advantage.

Gabriel was close to scoring a second time, but Benson made a clutch save to keep Team Wood within one.

Team Glynn’s lead didn’t last long, though; Parrella scored once again after beating the one-on-one matchup, re-tying the game at 11 goals apiece.

With just over 90 seconds left in the game, the 2-point queen Shayna Pirreca scored another bullet from behind the 8-meter line to put Team Glynn up 13-11.

Team Wood couldn’t find a way to score after Pirreca’s goal, so Team Glynn came away with a hard-fought victory. They bested Team Wood 13-11, improving to 2-0 so far on the weekend.

Treanor led the way with 174 points, earning the MVP 1 spot. Parrella was second with 138 points, securing the MVP 2 spot. Shane was third with 129 points and was voted MVP 3.

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