The women’s lacrosse team (2-12 overall, 1-5 Patriot League) fell in heartbreaking fashion to Holy Cross this Saturday when the Crusaders broke a tie in the waning minutes of the game.
After the Leopards went up 2-1 on goals from junior attacker Clare Culligan and sophomore midfielder Sophia Spallone, Holy Cross went on a four-goal run through the middle part of the second quarter.
The Leopards battled back, managing to tie the game 6-6 and gaining momentum heading into the locker room. By halftime, five different Leopards had put goals in the back of the net, with Culligan the only one to add a second tally to her total.
“One thing that the team really takes pride in is that everyone is a threat to score and create offense,” senior captain and attacker Meghan McLachlan said. “I think this makes us super tough to scout and helped so much playing against a zone on Saturday. Everyone stuck to our game plan and capitalized on the opportunities they were given.”
After Holy Cross broke the tie out of halftime, McLachlan scored her first of the game and fellow senior and captain attacker Sarah Bennett notched her second, giving the Leopards their first lead since the early part of the first quarter. The Crusaders soon answered to tie the game back.
The two teams traded goals again to bring the score even at nine before third senior captain midfielder Kerry Tuorto put the Leopards in front once more. After that, Holy Cross quickly responded by tying the game. As the seconds ticked down, the Crusaders scored again, decisively ending the game 11-10.
“Holy Cross played a zone defense, so it was even more important that we stuck to our game plan at the end of the game. We prepared to face their zone for three days at practice, so the team felt a good type of pressure in the final minutes,” McLachlan said. “We really played without fear at the end which was so fun to be a part of and is a testament to the trust we have in each other and our game plan.”
After the last-second loss, the Leopards remain positive. Throughout this season where close games have just not gone the way of the Maroon and White, the team has stayed optimistic thanks to their closeness and team chemistry.
“We take a lot of pride in not having lines drawn between classes and having close relationships with everyone on the team. I think this season has been the most fun I have had playing lacrosse in my life, and the team’s chemistry and culture is a huge part of that. We truly have so much love for each other that translates onto the field,” McLachlan said. “I think anyone that comes to our games will be able to feel our energy and see how much fun we have playing lacrosse together.”
After starting the season 1-11, the Leopards seemed to be turning a corner. Lafayette notched its first Patriot League win over Boston University as well as having close losses to both Bucknell, American and now Holy Cross.
“I definitely think our team has hit our stride and is playing our best lacrosse of the season right now,” McLachlan said. “Our non-conference schedule really prepared us to be competitive in close games, which is so important in Patriot League play. We learned a lot through our multiple overtime games and times where we needed to come from behind and go on our own scoring runs.”
Lafayette women’s lacrosse will play its senior day game tomorrow as the team says goodbye to eight seniors who have all had a tremendous impact on the team both on and off the field.
“As a senior, I am so excited for our senior day game against Colgate this Saturday. It is definitely a game we are hoping to win in order to stay in the hunt for the Patriot League tournament,” McLachlan said. “Our conference is so competitive, so we are trying to just take it one game at a time. This is definitely something I am trying to keep in mind as my lacrosse career winds down.”
The first face-off of the game will take place tomorrow at 12 p.m. on Fisher Field.
