WORCESTER -- Arie Lang (West Hartford, MA) scored 3:45 into the second overtime to propel the WPI field hockey team to a dramatic 1-0 victory over visiting MIT in an important NEWMAC contest played Tuesday evening on H. Carr Field at Alumni Stadium. 
 
The WPI victory snapped a run of 10 wins in the series, including the postseason, for MIT.  Worcester's Engineers had defeated MIT 4-0 in Cambridge on October 13th, 2018.  It was the first win for the Boynton Hiller's in the series in Worcester since a Celena Dopart tally in OT back in September of 2009, a string of eight straight contests.

The two teams entered the matchup tied for second in the nine-time league and now WPI is 11-5 on the season and 6-1 in conference action while MIT dips to 9-6 overall and 5-2 in NEWMAC play. 
 
The victory gives WPI a one-game lead with the tiebreaker in hand over MIT for the coveted two-seed and a quarterfinal bye and the right to host a semifinal in next month's NEWMAC Tournament.  That is notable because the two teams have squared off in the last three NEWMAC Semifinals will all three being played in Cambridge and won by MIT.
 
The opening half saw MIT control the first quarter, taking both of the frame's shots and only penalty corner with the homestanding Engineers having the better the of the second 15 minutes, registering all five shots and five corners in the second period yet neither team was able to find the back of the net.    
 
WPI nearly broke scoreless deadlock just after halftime but Lauren Meinhold (Boxboro, MA) had her hard shot saved by MIT goalie Maeve Zimmer (Rockville, MD) and Leah Uglevich's (Maynard, MA) was smothered but the Cardinal and Gray defense.   After outshooting the hosts 5-1 the rest of the way in the third quarter, MIT continued to pour on the attack in the fourth, uncorking all nine shots in the final 15 minutes, but WPI netminder Miles Gaskin (Reading, MA) was up to the task, stopping all six shots on frame over the final 15 minute
 
The hosts however took back control of the game in the first overtime period, outshooting MIT 3-1, setting the stage for Lang's dramatics in the second session.  The winning sequence began with a long pass by Sanidi Waduthanthiri (Hopkinton, MA) that was gathered by Abbey Powers (Halifax, MA), who dished it to streaking Lang, who buried the shot in the bottom left corner for her fourth goal of the season and 27th of her career at 73:45 to send the WPI faithful into a frenzy.   
 
Lakin earned the victory with 10 saves in net for WPI while Zimmer repelled six shots for Cambridge's Engineers, which held a 17-13 advantage in shots and a 13-9 edge in corners for the game.  Meinhold paced all players with five shots while Janie Thomas (Houston, TX), Bailey McIntyre (Concord, MA), Sierra Kim (Newtown, CT) and Jane Tortorella (Old Greenwich, CT) all were credited with multiple shots for the guests.
 
Both teams continue NEWMAC play on Saturday.  WPI visits Wellesley at noon while MIT returns home to face Smith at noon.