The Marist Women’s Lacrosse team suffered a blowout defeat in their first game of the season at the hands of New Hampshire, losing 15-5.
After trailing 3-2 after the first period, the Wildcats unleashed a 12-3 run over the course of the rest of the game to pull ahead, scoring seven in the third period.
Junior midfielder Jesse Manger was the only bright spot for the Foxes that morning, securing a hat-trick as she accounted for sixty percent of the offense’s goals. Sophomore attacker Makayla Keys had a day for the Wildcats, netting four goals in the avalanche.
Sophomore midfielder Catherine Windsor opened up the scoring for the Foxes. New Hampshire only needed twenty-six seconds to respond, as junior midfielder Kate O’Rourke scored on a free-position look. Freshman midfielder Eva de Matteis and senior midfielder Chloe Birckhead exchanged close-range goals to knot the game 2-2. Manger scored her first of the game on a feed from senior attacker Alexa Borges to put the Foxes ahead after one period of play, 3-2.
Despite the one-score lead, New Hampshire was locking down the attack zone, forcing lots of turnovers and making the most of sloppy entry passes. Marist was playing very physically, committing lots of fouls over the course of the contest, earning the Wildcats eleven free-position opportunities, of which they only scored on three.
After sophomore midfielder Erin Fagan tied the game at 3-3, the Wildcats began to poke holes in the Marist defense, going on a quick 4-0 run.
Marist was desperate for a score and they got their opportunity after freshman attacker Libby Boland was sent off with a green card. Marist capitalized on the man-up, with Manger scoring her second to bandage the bleeding.
Through two quarters of play, it was clear that there were two philosophies clashing on the field. Marist was playing very physical and patient, and New Hampshire was looking to get out and run at every opportunity.
After Mia Fernandes landed a yellow card at the end of the second quarter, the Wildcats started the third with a man-up opportunity. The Wildcats took advantage in the best way imaginable, scoring three goals in eighty five seconds to put themselves up 9-4 with barely any time passing in the period.
Fagan was dominating the draw against Manger, as after every goal the Cats scored, they were able to still get possession back, contributing to the snowballing of the score.
Senior attacker Allie Connerty secured 100 career points on a feed to Keys for her fourth goal, capping another 4-0 run for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats scored thirteen of the last fifteen goals in the contest after the first quarter, going on a prolonged 13-2 run to stun the Foxes after their strong opening period.
The Foxes will continue their out-of-conference road trip next week against Hofstra, where they’ll hope to bounce back after a resounding defeat.
Edited by Hayden Shapiro
Graphic: Raegan Van Zandt, Photo: Marist Athletics
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