In w-lacrosse, Warriors drop third straight to nationally-ranked opponent
.htmMIDDLETOWN, Conn. - The Wesleyan University women's lacrosse team scored four goals in just over four minutes to break from a tie midway through the first half, then scored the final four goals of the match to pull away for a 13-6 non-conference victory over Eastern Connecticut State University Sunday afternoon at Smith Field.
At left: Katie Beers
(dark jersey)
Eastern (0-3) scored twice in the first ten minutes to tie the match at 2-all before No. 19 nationally-ranked Wesleyan (3-1) answered witih four in a span of just over four minutes after calling a timeout to move out to a 6-2 lead with 11 minutes left in the first half. Jess Chukwu came off the bench to score the first two of those goals 30 seconds apart, picking up a ground ball after a save by Eastern freshman goalie Kristianna Ibsen (Shelton) for the second goal.
Trailing 9-4 after the opening goal of the second half, Eastern against scored two goals in a row in the first five minutes of the second half to cut the gap to three, but was unable to score again over the final 25 minutes of the 30-minute half. Junior Dana McLaughlin's (West Hartford) first career goal on a pass from sophomore Ashley Del Vecchio (Fairfield) had made it a three-goal game, but Wesleyan scored the final four goals to pull away for its seventh win without a loss in this series.
Eastern junior Katie Beers (Trumbull) had the first multiple-goal game of her career as she led the Warriors with three goals - all in the first half -- on six shots. Beers tied the match 2-2 on a pass from junior Brooke Wayte (Bellport, NY) ten minutes into the game, added her second on a feed from McLaughlin with three minutes left in the half, and her free-position strike in the final second made it 8-4 at halftime. Beers did not take a shot in the second half.
Senior Jackie Bivona (Middlebury) had five ground balls and caused two turnovers for Eastern. Junior Taylor MacDonald (Oak Bluffs, MA) and senior Jessica Richards (Somers) were each credited with five draw controls. Richards won the first four draws of the game that allowed the Warriors to remain close through the first ten minutes, but Wesleyan won six of the final eight draws of the first half. Freshman Megan Barrett (Setauket, NY) and senior Sara Barrett (Bourne, MA) complemented Bivona by commanding three ground balls each.
The Warriors commited 26 turnovers in the match, but forced the hosts into 23.
Ibsen made 14 saves to improve her season save percentage to .465 and lower her goals-against average to 15.33.
All three of Eastern's losses this year have come to teams ranked in the national Top 20. A week ago, Wesleyan was tied with No. 4 nationally-ranked Gettysburg College with seven minutes left before losing, 12-8.
Eastern hosts Vassar College Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Wesleyan U. 13, Eastern Conn. 6
Eastern Conn. (0-3) 4 2 -- 6
Wesleyan U. (3-1) 8 5 -- 13
Goals: E-Katie Beers 3, Dana McLaughlin, Nicole Shusdock, Taylor MacDonald; W-
Jess Chukwu 3, Erin McCarthy 2, Charlotte Hastings 2, Maggie Lile 2, Laurel Sticklor, Claire Hunter, Tanya Moss, Eileen Gaffney
Assists: E-McLaughlin, MacDonald, Ashley Del Vecchio, Brooke Wayte; W-
McCarthy 2, Hastings, Sarah Hoefle, Sticklor
Shots: E-18, W-39; Saves: E-Kristianna Ibsen 14; W-Maggie Drowica 7 (58:00 min., 6 goals allowed), Abby Sedney 0 (2:00, 0)
