The chances that two-time defending Division III national champion Salisbury would extend its home winning streak to 42 in Tuesday night's women's lacrosse season opener grew more remote as the first half went on.
No. 18 Stevenson jumped out to a 7-0 lead, and it looked as if the rebuilt Sea Gulls defense might need a little more time to come together. The No. 1 Sea Gulls had lost three starting field players -- two unexpectedly -- and their anchor, three-time National Goalie of the Year Ashton Wheatley.
About 20 minutes into the game, things got even worse for the offense. Last season's leading scorer, Liberty graduate Shelby Nemecek, suffered the second ACL tear of her career.
Despite those setbacks, the Sea Gulls rallied to win, 10-9, in double overtime. They never led until Gabbi Nieves scored the game-winner on a free-position goal. At the half, they trailed, 7-0.
Bethany Baer, last year's National Midfielder of the Year, jolted the offense back to life with two goals in a little more than two minutes to start the second half. The Westminster graduate finished with four goals, including one that tied the game for the first time with 53 seconds left.
Stevenson goalie Linnea Bittner, attempting to run out the clock, apparently tried to roll the ball behind the net, but her angle wasn't good and when Baer checked her stick, the ball went across the goal line to tie at 8 and force overtime. Baer also won the draw in double overtime for the possession that led to Nieves' game-winner.
The comeback started in the locker room at halftime and it started with Baer.
"Bethany Baer took the team aside and I heard her yelling at them," Salisbury coach Jim Nestor said. "I could overhear her saying, 'Yeah, we lost Shelby, but now we're playing for Shelby.' Being a senior and Midfielder of the Year last year, that's the type of player she is. She's a leader. She sparked the comeback, scoring three of the first four goals in the second half."
Losing Nemecek, a fifth-year senior who also missed her sophomore season with a torn ACL, on top of graduating Shannon Carta claimed a little more than one third of the Sea Gulls' 2014 scoring. Together the duo contributed 111 goals and 152 points.
But the Sea Gulls still have seven of their top 12 scorers back from last season. Baer had 48 goals and 13 assists last season while Kate Haker (Westminster), who scored twice against Stevenson, had 40 goals and 18 assists.
On the defensive side, Nestor, who earned Division III National Coach of the Year honors last spring for the fourth time, wasn't expecting to have to completely rebuild. He knew Wheatley and Meghan Toomey would graduate, but Toomey's sister Allison, a sophomore last season, did not return and senior Dominique DiPino (Dulaney) is out for the season after having surgery for a torn hip labrum.
Laura Maskell (Marriotts Ridge) is the only returning starter in the unit, but Hayden Hutzell (Centennial), Kieran Kelleher (Mount Hebron), Anna Sparr and goalie Gianna Falcone joined her in allowing just one Stevenson goal in the second half and one in overtime.
The Sea Gulls had to fight back in overtime, too, after the Mustangs' Olivia Monteiro scored first. Haker forced a turnover with a check, and Kara O'Rouke (Mount Hebron) tied it with 41 seconds left in the first six minutes of overtime before going to golden-goal double overtime.
"I thought we played a great second half," said Nestor who has 19 Baltimore women on the roster. "Being down by seven, it showed their fortitude, sticking with it, the perseverance. We told them one goal, one play at a time, one ground ball at a time and it was about just starting to play Salisbury lacrosse really."
The Sea Gulls, who have won three of the past five Division III national titles, are back in action Saturday when they travel to Catholic.