The women’s lacrosse team had their comeback opportunity halted by the Hofstra Pride, losing 14-10 as they fell to five straight losses to start the season.
Graduate student attackers Kerri Gutenberger and Kelly Trotta each had hat tricks, with fellow graduate student attacker Olivia Arntsen dishing out three assists. Freshman attacker Greta Govoni totaled two scores of her own.
“The reason Liv [Arntsen] had quite a bit of time with her hands there is we had some really good initiation out of our players up top when they started to close that down,” said head coach Keith Detelj. “So collectively, I think when we did start clicking a little bit, everybody took their turn in their opportunity.”
Sophomore goalie Luchianna Cardello locked down the Marist offensive, notching 11 saves on 21 shots faced. Senior attacker Kerry Walser had four goals, with her hat-trick converted in the first quarter, and graduate student attacker Taylor Mennella tallied four as well.
Marist (0-5) hosted the Pride (3-3) on a sunny Friday afternoon after a tight loss to the University of Vermont last week. They looked to build on the momentum their offense accrued after scoring in double figures for the first time all season.
The most recent time the Foxes squared off with the Pride was last season when Marist took their second win of the season on Long Island. After trading blows all game, Marist took a tight two-goal lead they did not look back on; the Red Foxes looked to replicate that outcome today.
Hofstra started the game on a quick 3-1 run. Walser scored the first of the game and her first of the season two and a half minutes in, while Trotta got Marist on the board with a blazing sidearm shot.
Scoring two of the next three goals, the Pride remained in the driver’s seat for the first quarter. Multiple five-hole saves by Cardello kept a three-goal lead intact heading into the second.
There, Gutenberger drilled her second of the game on a free-position attempt to open the quarter. A near three-minute stretch in the defensive zone saw freshman goalie Megan Morris act as a stone wall. Three shots were either saved or deterred by the keeper, keeping the Foxes within two.
Nearly eight minutes passed in the second frame before Hofstra scored, which they built on with another goal with 3:19 remaining in the half. Neither team would score after that, as the Pride took a 7-3 lead into the locker room.
Hofstra lept out to a 2-0 run to start the second half; Walser scored her fourth goal of the contest after converting a first-quarter hat-trick and Marist’s offense looked sluggish.
Cardello continued her shot-stopping prowess, saving her eighth shot of the day with another sweeping five-hole save. Redshirt freshman Nikki Mennella scored her second of the day while falling backward, bringing the Pride to double digits. Her sister, Taylor Mennella, scored her second shortly after to push the lead to eight.
“We’re at a point where our shot selections are not really where we want it to be. I mean, we got some good looks,” said Detelj. “I think we’re just gonna make sure that we keep on the fact that we’re getting the opportunities. We just got to make sure we’re not making the other goalie look good.”
In a minute and a half, Marist scored three goals to trail 11-6 heading into the final frame; Trotta scored her second as Gutenberger captured her second straight hat-trick. After nearly being blanked in the third, momentum looked to be creeping towards the home team.
Hofstra had other plans in the fourth. Within a minute of play, two goals were scored by Taylor Mennella. Marist then began their comeback attempt; Trotta converted a free-position attempt which sparked a 4-1 run, but it was too little too late.
“Everybody, even off-ball, was getting into it because that’s when we were our best when we’re high tempo. I think the Hofstra zone just threw our movements off a little bit, but we worked well with it,” said Govoni. “We found out how to rattle some shots off and I think our shots just weren’t falling for a while.”
An offense that looked explosive last week and scored double digits again, but came up short down the stretch. The team ran out of gas, and the Pride took advantage, holding on to a 14-10 victory.
Marist now turns the page to the final game of their three-game homestand, when they host the Columbia Lions on Wednesday, Mar. 13. Gametime is set for 4 p.m.
Edited by Ben Leeds
Photo and graphic from Jaylen Rizzo
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