Plymouth, N.H. – Rachel Preusser had the game of her career on Wednesday afternoon, culminating with a game-winning goal off a penalty corner with no time remaining to lift the Spartans to a 7-6 victory over Plymouth St. 

The Spartans were given the chance to complete a penalty corner after time expired, and Preusser blasted a shot from the left side into the upper half of the goal off a pass from Blake Wardwell to clinch the victory for Castleton. 

Preusser scored five second-half goals; including three in the last seven minutes to push the Spartans past the Panthers for their first win of the year. Preusser's five goals are a career high, and she added an assist on the Castleton's first score for a career-high 11 points on the day. 

Junior Nikki Garvey led the PSU attack with three goals, posting her second career hat trick.  Senior Jackie Morin (Scarborough, Maine) added a pair of markers as the Panthers were outshot in the contest 36-19. 

PSU took a 2-0 lead in the first nine minutes of the game. Morin knocked one under goalie Jessica Galatioto six and a half minutes into the game, and Garvey broke in alone to sneak one past Galatioto less than two minutes later. Senior Shawna Pinsonault put the Spartans on the board on a rebound of her own shot at the 15:12 mark. 

Wardwell tied the game three minutes into the second half, finishing off a pretty 3-on-1 with assists to teammates Preusser and Pinsonault, but Garvey's second goal off a rebound less than a minute later gave the Panthers the lead back, 3-2. 

Preusser and Morin traded goals less than a minute apart with about 25 minutes remaining, Preusser scoring her first of the day on a cross from Wardwell and Morin answering with a nice back-handed flip over the goalie's shoulder. Preusser tied the game 4-4 with her second of the day on a rebound with 15 minutes left. 

The teams combined for five goals in the final seven minutes of the contest. Garvey's third of the day put the Panthers in front 5-4 with 6:50 on the clock. Preusser answered with back-to-back goals just over two minutes apart for the Spartans, hitting a one-timer past the goalie and then weaving through the Panther defense for a go-ahead score with 3:52 to play. 

Castleton appeared headed to victory before Panther Masha Lange blasted a shot from just inside the circle on the right side with 37 seconds remaining. However the Spartans kept pressing and earned the final penalty corner to set up the Preusser heroics. 

Hilary Lemelin finished with 18 saves before coming out of the game with an injury midway through the second half.  Junior Kaitlyn Warren came off the bench and made five saves in the last 25 minutes. Galatioto made eight saves to earn the win in goal. 

The Spartans return to action on Saturday when they travel to face the University of New England at 2 pm.