Despite another four-goal scoring performance from sophomore midfielder Amelia Pirozzi, the Marist women’s lacrosse team fell to Columbia, 12-9, on Saturday evening at Tenney Stadium.
The matchup was the second game of a doubleheader at Tenney Stadium, following the Marist men’s victory over Air Force earlier in the afternoon. Coming off a tough midweek loss to Hofstra, the Red Foxes looked to end their losing streak, but Columbia proved to be too much to overcome.
Marist came out explosive, igniting the home crowd, and had a spectacular first-quarter performance. Pirozzi opened the scoring just over a minute into the contest, which was her 13th goal of the season. The Red Foxes built on that momentum as senior attacker Jesse Manger found the back of the net twice, including a successful free position shot. When senior captain midfielder Caitlin McNaboe scored off an assist from junior attacker Kathryn Staker at the 10:30 mark, Marist held a commanding 4-0 lead.
While the Lions were picked to finish last in the Ivy League preseason poll, they showed resilience. After senior midfielder Cecelia Messner got Columbia on the board late in the first, they completely took control from there on out.
Columbia’s defense tightened up, shutting out the Red Foxes for the entire second quarter. Offensively, Columbia chipped away at the lead with goals from junior attacker Michelle Zhai and sophomore attacker Maddie Brogan, Brogan’s coming off a man-up opportunity. Junior midfielder Anna Becker eventually found the back of the net to tie the score. Becker also scored to put them ahead on an assist from senior midfielder Cordelia Flemming with just 37 seconds left in the half. This sent Marist to the locker room trailing 5-4.
The third quarter became a high-scoring affair from both sides. Pirozzi and McNaboe continued to lead the Marist charge, with Pirozzi netting two more goals to keep the Red Foxes within striking distance. Staker also added a goal of her own to start the period. Despite the offensive production, Marist struggled to contain the Lions’ transition game. Freshman midfielder Lilah Kirch and freshman attacker Emma Row combined for three goals in the period, helping Columbia maintain a 9-8 edge heading into the final quarter.
In the fourth, Zhai and Messner proved to be the difference makers for the Lions. Zhai scored two quick goals to extend the lead for Columbia. Shortly after, Messner scored her 12th of the season at the 8:53 mark, pushing the Columbia lead to four. Pirozzi managed to score her fourth goal of the game off an assist from Manger with 3:44 remaining, but it was too little, too late.
This was the ninth meeting between the two programs, with Columbia now holding a 7-2 advantage in the all-time series.
The Red Foxes will have a long break to regroup before heading to the West Coast for a two-game spring break trip in California. Marist returns to action on Friday, March 13, at UC Davis, followed by a matchup at California Berkley on March 16.
Edited by Ben Leeds
Graphic by Quinn DiFiore
Photos by Celia Green
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