Scoring in bunches is something teams always strive to do. It’s a way to turn momentum in a game and establish control of a contest.

Madison Bell, a senior attacker at Roberts Wesleyan, took that concept to a new level last Saturday, scoring four goals in the final 40 seconds of the second quarter to help lead RWC to a 13-11 victory over host Molloy College in an East Coast Conference game.

Bell’s outburst started with a free position goal from the top of the arc with 40 seconds left. She then converted three feeds from teammate Sophia Podszebka into goals with 20 seconds, 6 seconds, and 0.7 seconds remaining in the half. 

Senior, Attacker, Madison Bell, @maddiebell27, is UNSTOPPABLE.

4 goals in 40 seconds.
BACK TO BACK TO BACK TO BACK

Coming home from LI with that 3rd conference team win! #sctop10 @espn @SportsCenter @IWLCA @NCAA @NCAADII @ECCSports @RocDevo @13WHAM @NBCSports pic.twitter.com/azU3JYqM8Y

— Roberts Wesleyan Women’s Lacrosse (@RWC_WLAX) April 9, 2022

Since Bell was fouled while scoring her first and third goals, RWC was awarded possession at midfield rather than having a draw. Podszebka, who also won the draw control after the second of Bell’s goals, started with the ball each time and did an efficient job of setting up her teammate.

“We kept getting the ball and it all just happened so fast,” Bell said. “I think the last one was the coolest because I was open down low and Sophia got the pass to me from midfield.”

Roberts Wesleyan, which had an early 5-0 lead but had seen Molloy claw back with three straight goals, went from clinging to a 5-3 edge when Bell’s run started to re-establishing control with a 9-3 advantage at the break.

“The momentum had shifted," said Kristin Paolini, now in her seventh season as coach of the Redhawks. “We challenged our team to get it back and Maddie took it into her own hands to get us back into a good situation.”

Bell, who leads the ECC in both goals (47) and points (72) this season, finished with six goals and two assists. Podszebka added two goals and established new career-highs with four assists and 13 draw controls.

As a transfer from Central Michigan who joined the Redhawks last year, Bell tallied 84 points (47g, 37a) in 2021 and became one of the offensive catalysts who helped lead Roberts Wesleyan to the NCAA Division II national semifinals for the first time. She’s hoping for another deep postseason run this spring.

“We’re all trying to make the most of every game,” Bell said. “I think there’s a lot of a carryover from last year’s success. We’re just eager to win. That’s now the standard.”

“She has so much love for the game and such a passion for winning,” Paolini said.