NORFOLK, Va. – Trailing by three goals at the half the Lancers rallied to outscore Old Dominion in the second half but saw their comeback bid fall just short.
Led by three goals from each of Caroline Shaefer, Danielle Dundas, and Haley O'Connor, the Monarchs held on to beat Longwood women's lacrosse 14-13 on Saturday afternoon. The Lancers outscored Old Dominion 7-5 in the final 30 minutes, but came up just one goal short of completing the come from behind attempt.
"It was a hard fought game and despite being down the majority of the game and having a shorthanded bench, the players all battled to the end," said Longwood head coach
Elaine Jones. "We still need to work on our execution in certain areas and at certain times, but I loved the hustle, mental toughness, and resiliency that our players displayed. At the end of the day it is still a loss, but we can certainly build on this game moving forward & eventually we will get that 1st win."
The Lancer offense got goals from nine different players, led by
Emma Johnson's second hat trick of the season.
Ainsley Rowlison and
Haley Moomau both tallied two goals—Rowlison two scores were her first and second of the season. Seven players recorded their first goal of the season, including freshman
Logan Ward, making her first collegiate goal.
Taylor Blenckstone tallied four assists, inflating her season total to a team-best eight helpers.
However, Old Dominion's offset Longwood's season-best offensive output with three hat tricks. Seven different Monarchs scored, as they held a slight edge in shots over Longwood, 32-26. In goal, Jenna Peccia made 11 stops for Old Dominion, as
Kylee Wright made eight saves for Longwood.
As a team, Old Dominion held an 18-11 advantage in draw controls. However, the Monarchs committed 15 turnovers to Longwood's 12, as Longwood also held the edge in clear attempts by converting 15-of-16.
"We were patient in transition with
Hannah Tirrell,
Rachel Abraham,
Ainsley Rowlison, and
Dana Joss all executing well in that area," said Jones. "Our defense had several nice stands and came up with some key caused turnovers.
The game was tight through the first 15 minutes, with neither team taking a lead greater than one goal. After
Emma Johnson's free position goal at 15:38 knotted the game at 3-3, the Monarchs responded with a quick 2-0 run to take a 5-3 lead, as they would extend their lead to three at the half, 9-6.
After Lilly Siskind extended the Old Dominion lead to 10-6 early in the second half, Longwood responded with a 2-0 run to cut the lead to 10-8 with 26:25 to play. The Monarchs responded with a run of their own, scoring the next three goals to take a 13-8 lead with 13:00 to play.
Longwood again had an answer, opening up a 4-0 run to get within a goal, 13-12 with 4:37 to play.
Haley Moomau had two goals during that stretch, as she ranks as Longwood's second leading scorer with six goals.
The Monarchs bounced back with a goal from Dundas, giving them a 14-12 lead 3:57 to play.
Taylor Blenckstone rallied to get Longwood back within a goal with 41 seconds left, but Old Dominion was able to secure the final draw control and ice the game.
"Our offense worked hard to pull us to within one goal with a minute to go after being down five, so credit to them for finding the back of the net," added Jones.
Up next for the Lancers is another Commonwealth-clash, as they head to Richmond to take on the University of Richmond on Wednesday, March 3. The opening draw is scheduled for 3 p.m.
#GoWood
