LA MIRADA, Calif.- A last second goal from Tatum Benson propelled the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds over the Gannon Golden Knights Saturday afternoon 9-8 in the consolation bracket of the WWPA Tournament.
The Sunbirds opened the game winning the sprint and capitalizing on it with a goal from Emily Lopez-Ibarra.
Gannon fired back with a goal of their own evening the score 1-1 to end of the first period.
The Golden Knights scored twice on back-to-back possessions to open the second period and take their first lead of the game.
With less than two minutes to go, the Sunbirds broke their second period scoring drought with a goal from Maddie Murad with the assist from Natalie Kisling to end the period down 3-2.
Both teams struggled offensively early in the third.
The Sunbirds converted a pair from Kisling and Benson to retake the lead 4-3 to end the third.
A trio of goals from Bella Alcazar, Alli Hepner, and Emma Cook extended the Sunbirds lead in the fourth, but the Golden Knights came storming back scoring three goals to even the game 7-7 with less than two minutes remaining.
A goal from Maggie Cook gave the Sunbirds the lead again but it didn't last long as the Golden Knights converted on the penalty shot evening the score once again.
A missed shot from the Sunbirds and a turnover by the Golden Knights marked the next two possessions leaving the Sunbirds with the ball with twenty three seconds left.
Out of a timeout, the 'Birds worked the ball around before Regan Azevedo found Benson in the middle who scored with six seconds left giving the Sunbirds the lead 9-8.
The Golden Knights called a timeout of their own to set up a play, but it proved unsuccessful as Katie Whittingham came up with the stop sealing the victory for the Sunbirds.
With the win Fresno Pacific will advance to the fifth place game tomorrow where they will take on Salem at 9:45am.
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