Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lafayette
Late Rally Falls Just Short, Women's Lax Edged by Lafayette 14-13
3/29/2017 10:02:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Sarah Galzerano and Maddy Molinari scored three times apiece, with Molinari going over the 100-goal mark for her career, but the Bucknell women's lacrosse team fell one tally short on Wednesday night at Graham Field as Lafayette held on for a 14-13 verdict. The Bison fell to 6-4 overall and 1-2 in the Patriot League, while the Leopards moved to 8-3, 3-0 and remained in a tie for first place in the PL standings.
Lafayette never trailed in the game and led by a five goals at 14-9 after a Charlotte Rath shorthanded goal with 13:41 to play. The Bison never quit, however, scoring four times in the last nine minutes, including twice in the final 30 seconds, to pull within 14-13. The last of those goals came off the stick of Christina Manis with 8.1 seconds left, but Lafayette grabbed the final draw control and ran out the clock.
Galzerano added a pair of assists to give her a five-point night, while Molinari recorded four points with three goals and an assist. Molinari's free-position shot 5:17 into the second half made her the ninth 100-goal scorer in Bucknell history. Molinari also nabbed five draw controls, giving her a Patriot League-high 54 on the season, which is tied for fourth-most in a season at Bucknell.
Manis (2-1-3), Audrey Walsh (1-2-3), Courtney Burke (2-0-2) and Becca Golding (1-1-2) also had multi-point games, with Golding pocketing her first goal of the season.
Kirsten Wilhelmsen, the leading goal-scorer in the nation, paced Lafayette with three goals, three assists and seven draw controls. Hannah Davey and Emma Novick scored three times each for the Leopards, which entered the night ranked first in the Patriot League and 11th in the country in scoring at 14.6 goals per game.
Davey and Mairead Janzer staked Lafayette to a quick 2-0 lead, but the Bison tied it on goals by Galzerano and Burke. But the Leopards scored two straight and five of the next six to take the lead for good.
Erika Stube sent a long outlet pass to Galzerano for a breakaway goal with 31 seconds remaining in the first half to make it a 7-5 game, and then Jamie DeWitt made a terrific save just before the horn on a breakaway at the other end to keep it a two-goal margin at the half.
Golding hit the crossbar in the opening minutes of the second stanza, and then Davey answered the other way for Lafayette. The Leopards slowly pushed the lead up to as many as five, first at 13-8 on a free-position shot by Jane Kirby. Both teams had success at the 8-meter arc, as Lafayette went 5-for-7 and Bucknell 4-for-4 in a game that was slowed by 53 fouls.
Molinari and Morgan Steinhacker scored 47 seconds apart to bring the Bison within 14-11. Backup goalie Elizabeth Duswalt made a tough save to keep the margin at three, but Bucknell's comeback attempt was hampered by a few turnovers. Walsh scored on a free-position attempt with 29 seconds left, and then Galzerano fed Manis on the crease with 0:08 on the clock to make it a 14-13 game. The Bison needed a quick win on the draw, but Wilhelmsen came up with the loose ball and ran out the clock.
It was the second straight one-goal game between the two teams, as Bucknell won 13-12 last season in Easton.
Lafayette finished with a 35-27 shot advantage and a 20-17 edge in ground balls. Both teams forced numerous turnovers, as Bucknell finished with 26 miscues and Lafayette 19.
Annie Gilbertson had a strong night with three caused turnovers and three ground balls, while Katherine Doyle picked up four ground balls. DeWitt finished with nine saves, while Duswalt had four. Lafayette used three goalies in the game, combining for four saves.
The Bison now play their next two games on the road, starting with Holy Cross on Saturday at 2 p.m.
