STANDISH, Maine – Sophomore Ella Highbarger (Kennebunk, Maine) buried the game-winning man-up goal with 3:10 left in overtime to complete a furious comeback as Saint Joseph's College (1-0) earned a 10-9 season-opening victory over Plymouth State (0-1) on Tuesday night at the SJC Athletics Complex.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Plymouth State came out flying, scoring five times in the first quarter and stretching the lead to 6-1 early in the second as Claire Joyce (Braintree, Mass.) and Greta Oberacker (East Falmouth, Mass.) both netted a pair during the opening stretch. The Monks settled in and began chipping away before halftime, then turned the momentum into a full-blown rally after the break.

Trailing 8-4 with 11:04 left in the third quarter, Saint Joseph's rattled off three straight goals as Highbarger, Sophia Burton (Minisink, N.Y.), and Taylor Dumond (Minisink, N.Y.) struck to cut the deficit to 8-7 with 12:47 left in regulation.

PSU junior Sammy Murphy (Harrisville, R.I.) halted the Monks' run with her second goal of the night at the 11:55 mark to provide the Panthers with some breathing room, but the cushion was short-lived. Dumond scored at 7:42, and Highbarger tied the game 1:04 later to make it 9-9. Saint Joseph's defense negated several Plymouth State rushes down the stretch to force sudden-victory overtime.

Saint Joseph's recorded the only two shots in the extra frame, as a Dumond attempt sailed high at the 3:36 mark. Moments later, after a Plymouth State player was issued a green card, Highbarger found the back of the net off a Kiley Webber (Freeport, Maine) assist—sending the Monks to a midfield celebration shortly thereafter.

STATS OF THE GAME:

Saint Joseph's held the edge in shots (26-23) and helped swing possession with a 28-20 advantage in ground balls. A total of 15 penalties were issued, with Highbarger's winner counting as the only man-up marker of the night.

THE KEEPERS:

SJC senior Alexis Eldridge (Effingham, N.H.) posted 11 saves in the victory while PSU freshman Caitlin Snow (Peabody, Mass.) made 11 stops in a losing bid.

LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:

• Ella Highbarger: 6 goals (career high), 2 ground balls, 2 draw controls, 1 caused turnover
• Taylor Dumond: 2 goals, 1 assist, 2 ground balls, 4 draw controls
• Sophia Burton: 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 ground balls
• Dinah Wadleigh: 1 goal, 3 ground balls
• Celia Melanson: 2 assists, 5 ground balls, 2 caused turnovers
• Ava Molineaux: 3 ground balls, 3 draw controls, 3 caused turnovers

LEADERS – PLYMOUTH STATE:

• Evelyn Goudreau: 3 goals, 3 ground balls, 2 draw controls
• Greta Oberacker: 2 goals, 3 ground balls, 1 draw control
• Claire Joyce: 2 goals
• Sammy Murphy: 2 goals, 3 ground balls, 1 caused turnover
• Grace Hoover: 1 assist, 3 ground balls, 6 draw controls
• Karina Bosco: 4 ground balls, 1 draw control

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

For the Monks, tonight's triumph is the first win over Plymouth State in program history. Saint Joseph's entered the game having fallen short in all three previous meetings with the Panthers, who earned an at-large berth into the 2025 NCAA Division III Tournament and notched a first-round victory over Marymount (Va.) last spring.

NEXT!

Saint Joseph's will play at Bates College on Wednesday, March 4th. Opening draw is set for 6:00 PM.