TOWSON, Md.–The Penn women’s lacrosse team battled back from a a three-goal deficit in the second half to claim a thrilling 9-8 overtime victory against Duke in the NCAA semifinal on Friday night at Johnny Unitas Stadium in Towson, Md. Senior Rachel Manson capped the come-from-behind victory with the game-winning goal with 42 seconds remaining in the second overtime period. The goal came off Giulia Giordano’s free position opportunity and her quick pass to Manson wide open in front of the goal.
“I am really proud of the girls after being down 7-4 and staying composed,” said Head Coach Karin Brower. “We were struggling coming up with the draw but made a couple changes and got the ball so we were able to run our offense and have those opportunities [to score]. I’m really proud of our defense, they did an excellent job.”
Manson’s two goals were bookends for the game as she scored exactly one minute into the game, and with 42 seconds to go in the overtime period. However, after Manson’s tally, Duke’s Carolyn Davis scored the first of her five goals. Sarah Bullard scored just less than a minute later to take the lead. It took Penn nearly 50 minutes to regain the lead.
Duke controlled the ball for a good portion of the first half and held a 4-3 lead at the break. Melissa Lehman scored with 12 minutes to go in the half to close that period’s scoring. Duke had the last shot of the half, but Sarah Waxman made a big save to keep it close going into the break.
Waxman was impressive with seven saves and four of the Blue Devils’ goals coming on difficult free-position shots. Possibly her biggest save of the day came with 24 seconds left in the first overtime. Lindsay Gilbride, who had scored two other goals in the game including the one to send the game to overtime, fired a great shot on goal but Waxman made an even greater stop.

pennathletics.com

By Sherry Youngquistand Monte Mitchell
ELKIN - Fibrowatt, a company that produces electricity by burning chicken bedding and manure, has dropped its request that Elkin agree to a 30-year moratorium on annexing a proposed power plant.
The company proposes a plant in the region, either at a site in Surry County or one in North Wilkesboro, both near the Yadkin River.
“We are very near in making a decision on a site right now. It would be premature to discuss many of the details that we are working on right now,” said Terry Walmsley, Fibrowatt’s vice president of environmental public affairs.
Officials in Surry County say they have been in regular contact with Fibrowatt. That’s not the case in Wilkes County, where officials say that they and Fibrowatt talk only infrequently. The Elkin Board of Commissioners met in closed session Tuesday night to discuss the annexation request, Mayor Lestine Hutchens said. The next day, Fibrowatt withdrew its request, she said.
“They decided the chances of forcibly annexing them were unlikely,” Hutchens said yesterday.
The site in Surry County under consideration is along the Yadkin River more than three miles outside of Elkin’s planning jurisdiction. The area is not densely populated.
Fibrowatt officials say they are also still considering a site at the town-owned industrial park in North Wilkesboro.
Officials in Wilkes County say that their only recent contact with Fibrowatt was a round of phone calls that the company made last week to try to squelch a rumor that Fibrowatt was ready to announce the Elkin location as its preferred site. Fibrowatt officials called a number of Wilkes County and North Wilkesboro leaders to say that the speculation was not true.
Other than those phone calls, it has been weeks since the company talked to anyone with North Wilkesboro, Town Manager Hank Perkins said.

www2.journalnow.com

CHARLOTTE - Duke’s freshman forward Kyle Singler had his second-straight forgettable performance in the Blue Devils’ loss to Clemson on Sunday.
The Atlantic Coast Conference’s Freshman of the Year, who averaged 13.6 points per game, left Charlotte with a combined seven points in his first conference tournament.
Against Georgia Tech, Singler picked up two early fouls and was held to five points. Against Clemson, Singler wore down, scoring two points and shooting 1-for-9 from the field.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said he thinks Singler got tired.
“He’s had a lot of pressure, physical and otherwise placed upon him to play at a high level,” Krzyzewski said. “We need to get him refreshed because his two games here, it was a gallant effort, but you can tell he didn’t have his legs and wasn’t fresh.”
Duke forward Gerald Henderson injured his already gimpy right wrist in the second half against Clemson. Krzyzewski said it will be examined this weekend and is expected to be ready when the NCAA Tournament begins next week.
Roy Williams opened his postgame comments by addressing Wayne Ellington’s technical foul late in the second half.
After getting a foul called on Virginia Tech’s Deron Washington, Ellington jawed at the Hokies’ small forward and made brief contact with him, drawing a technical foul from Karl Hess.

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