ANN ARBOR, MI – Hartwick led 10-6 in the fourth quarter but a furious comeback from #11 Princeton forced overtime where the Tigers prevailed, 12-11, in the Collegiate Water Polo Association Eastern Semifinals Saturday night at the University of Michigan's Canham Natatorium. The Hawks, who fall to 29-12 on the year, will play #15 Indiana in tomorrow's third-place game at 3 p.m. The top-seeded Hoosiers lost to the host Wolverines in the night's first semifinal, 6-5.
           
Both teams played through a scoreless three-minute overtime period before Jesse Holechek gave the Tigers an 11-10 edge with 1:58 remaining in the second extra session. The Hawks came right back 18 seconds later as senior Lily Martinez (Commerce, CA) forced in her third of the game to tie the score at 11-11. Princeton goalkeeper Ashleigh Johnson got a piece of the shot but could not keep it out.
           
Martinez came up with a steal on the defensive end for Hartwick but the Tigers would steal it on the Hawks' ensuing possession. Player of the Game Katie Rigler would pick up the game-winner with 58 seconds to go with her fourth tally of the game on a skip-shot past 'Wick goalie Michaela Davies (Cronulla, Australia).
           
The Tigers again came away with a steal on Hartwick's next possession and they killed much of the remaining clock, giving the ball back to the Hawks with just three seconds left. Following a timeout, Davies threw the ball in front of the Princeton cage but it was deflected away allowing the Tigers to secure the comeback victory.
           
Martinez and junior Sami Capparelli (Miami, FL) each scored three goals to pace the Hawks. Jemma Dendy Young (Cape Town, South Africa), who went 6-for-6 in the game in swim-offs, tallied two for 'Wick.
           
Hartwick gained the upper hand in the first quarter of play as it tallied the game's first three goals. Senior Allison Kosich (Stockton, CA) opened the scoring on the power-play with 3:22 gone in the quarter. Kamila Zakirova (Almaty, Kazakhstan) added the Hawks' second with a lofted shot up and over Johnson for a 2-0 lead.
           
Martinez's first tally of the night with 3:38 left gave the Hawks a 3-0 advantage. The Tigers got on the scoreboard with 1:58 left in the period on a Rigler goal and 'Wick led 3-1 at the end of eight minutes.
             
The two teams traded goals over the first four minutes of the second quarter. Saranna Soraka and Camille Hooks scored Princeton's goal with Capparelli tallying for Hartwick and the Hawks led by a margin of 4-3.
           
Dendy Young increased Hartwick's advantage to two with 3:49 left before Diana Murphy scored to cut the Tiger deficit to one once again at 5-4. The Hawks, however, scored twice in the closing stages of the half. Capparelli tapped in her second of the game from in close and Martinez scored on a penalty shot with 44 seconds remaining and 'Wick led 7-4 at the break.
           
Senior Sasha Freeborn (Auckland, New Zealand) increased the margin to four with a goal at 5:48 of the third and Capparelli made it a 9-4 game 2:04 later.
           
The Tigers narrowed the gap to three, 9-6, after three quarters with a Diana Murphy goal and a Kelly Gross power-play tally.
           
Dendy Young increased the Hartwick lead to four with her second goal of the game with 26 ticks gone in the fourth, but the Tigers would control the rest of the quarter. Rigler scored twice in a 1:51 span to pull her team within two, 10-8. Brittany Zwirner then cut the margin in half with a penalty shot goal with 3:15 left. Holecheck evened the score at 10-10 shortly thereafter.
           
The Hawks had a couple of chances to regain the lead with under two minutes left in regulation but could not convert. Kosich had a shot ring off the post and Capparelli had a shot saved by Johnson, setting the stage for the overtime poeriods.
           
Davies would finish the game with nine saves for Hartwick. Johnson stopped 11 Hartwick shots for the Tigers.
           
Tonight's game marked 'Wick's second-one-goal loss to Princeton this season. The Hawks also dropped a 7-6 decision to the Tigers at the Bucknell Invitational on February 17. 'Wick opposes Indiana tomorrow for the third time this season. The Hawks defeated the Hoosiers 8-7 at Bucknell. IU defeated Hartwick 12-11 in the CWPA Western Finals on April 14.