LISBON – The ball seemed like it would take forever to get over the line.

From the moment Winthrop forward Sarah Cook got her stick on the ball, she knew it had a chance to go in – if it got to the net.

“I couldn’t really see anything because I had two or three defenders in front of me,” said Cook. “I tried to get it to the goal cage from my spot on the post, and somehow it made it through.”

More exciting for the Ramblers was that Cook’s goal came with 1:46 left on the clock. It broke a 1-1 stalemate, sending Winthrop on to a 2-1 field hockey win over MVC rival Lisbon on Wednesday.

“When we talk in practice the night before a game, we try and talk about what the other team is going to be thinking going into the game,” said Winthrop coach Sharon Coulton. “Lisbon had to be thinking about how they beat us last year when we were undefeated and came here, and we were intent on making sure that didn’t happen again this year.”

The Ramblers (11-0-1) have allowed just seven goals in 12 games this season, two of which have come in wins over Lisbon (9-4), and used the same stifling defense in the second half on Wednesday to stymie Lisbon’s comeback attempts.

“Megan Lynch had a great day at sweeper, as well as our keeper (Keltie Mullen),” said Coulton. “We were able to keep them away for a lot of the half.”

Ahead 1-0 to start the second frame, the Ramblers went on the attack immediately, getting five or six quality shots in on Lisbon netminder Bethany Williams in the first three minutes. Williams turned them all away.

“She played a great game,” said Lisbon coach Mark Stevens. “Winthrop, they are just used to winning. We knew they were beatable, and we had our chances, but they played well enough to beat us today.”

When Lisbon did get an opportunity in the second half, it converted immediately, parlaying an Erica Merrit goal on an assist from Emily Poliquin into a 1-1 deadlock.

In the first half, Winthrop took the lead with 7:23 to go on a short-side shot by Mindy Sullivan from five yards out. Prior to that goal, both teams had tried and been turned away several times by solid goaltending, with Mullen and Williams each turning aside a breakaway chance.