Pirates Earn Historic Win Over Temple, 11-10 in OT

Saturday, March 29

Philadelphia, PA

12:00 p.m.

East Carolina University

3-6, 1-1AAC

Temple

2-9, 0-2AAC

ECU

TEMPLE

March 29, 2025 | Lacrosse

Box Score Photo Gallery

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – For the first time in eight tries, the East Carolina lacrosse team defeated the Temple Owls, 11-10, in overtime on Saturday afternoon at Howarth Field. Riley Matthiesen scored the game-winning goal to decide the team's first OT victory since 2018 and just the second in program history.

For a while, it looked like the same old script. The Pirates (3-6, 1-1 AAC) got out to a lead with a 4-2 first quarter, forcing a Temple (2-9, 0-2 AAC) into goalkeeper change—for what it's worth, Colleen Bernardino deserves plenty of credit for her work in relief, making six saves and letting in only six goals after regular started Taylor Grollman let in five goals without making a stop.

But then the Owls responded, a pair of 4-1 quarters gave the hosts a four-goal lead entering the fourth quarter. The Pirates' backs were against the wall, forced to rally and hoping this one would be different. Perhaps the memory of the team's recent close call with a nationally ranked Duke squad was a boost of confidence, and, perhaps, of belief.

Whatever it was, the Pirates did not allow a single goal in the fourth quarter and scored four of their own—in dramatic fashion, no less. Jaime Behar had a career day with 12 saves in the game, greatly contributing to that shutout fourth quarter, but more on her later.

ECU got some straight-out gutty goals in the fourth. Grace Moore scored her second-career goal, Leah Bestany tallied on a Erin Gulden assist to cut it to one late, Gulden getting absolutely decked while making the pass but getting it off anyhow.

But it was really in the final two minutes in which chaos took over. After a late Pirates giveaway, Temple possessed the ball looking to run the clock down, the scoreboard showing just a 30-second differential between possession and game clocks. Then Emma Magazu made the play of her life, jumping a pass and giving ECU possession in the final minute, down just one goal.

Temple made the save. Bernardino had the save with under 20 seconds left and the game looked over—it should have been over. Then Matthiesen made one of the plays of her life, causing a turnover on the press and getting the ground ball herself with just about 10 seconds left.

In their last gasp possession, the Pirates got the ball to Leah Bestany who drew a whopper of a foul to earn a free position shot. Bestany toughed it out to take the shot herself and fired home a beauty. Tie game.

In overtime—the team's second of the season for the first time ever—Temple actually got the ball first off of the draw. That's ordinarily a good sign for a team's chances of winning but the Owls' attempt from the stick of Sarah Gowman was saved by Behar.

Behar was fantastic in the game, particularly down the stretch. She allowed just 10 goals while making 10 huge stops. She possessed the overtime save cleanly and the Pirates were off for their chance to win it.

On the Pirates' final possession, Katelyn Sclafani took a pass from Rachel Chessock behind the goal and found Matthiesen on the left side of the crease where she beat Bernardino to the right side of the goal for the winner.

The win was ECU's first against Temple after entering the game 0-7 all time against the Owls. It was the second in program history in overtime. It is also the Pirates' first win ever after trailing by four-or-more goals with under 10 minutes to play.

Up Next
The Pirates are back on the road at 5 p.m. on Tuesday as they travel to take on the No. 16 Clemson Tigers in Clemson, S.C.