The women’s lacrosse team split two games this week, falling 7-4 to Old Dominion University on Saturday and defeating Central Connecticut State University 21-6 on Wednesday.
The loss to Old Dominion (6-2 overall) snapped the Leopards’ (4-2 overall) 2-game win streak.
“It was a well-fought game,” junior defender Jordan Siemonsen said. “We really played it out until the end.”
The Monarchs set the tone early, jumping out to a 3-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. Freshman midfielder Sadie Martiesian responded five minutes into the second quarter to put the Leopards on the board, but the Monarchs answered late in the half to mount a 4-1 advantage at intermission.
Not going down without a fight, the Leopards outscored Old Dominion 3-1 in the third quarter. Martiesian struck again and senior midfielder Sophia Spallone and junior attacker Kristin Igneri added goals to pull the Leopards within one heading into the final period.
Old Dominion closed out the contest with two fourth-quarter goals, securing the 7-4 victory. Statistically, the matchups remained close. The Monarchs held a slight edge in draw controls 8-6, while the Leopards dominated the ground ball battle 21-15. Senior goalkeeper Molly Terraciano recorded seven saves on the day.
“This season, our seniors and freshmen have really stepped up,” Siemonsen said. “Specifically, shoutout to Molly Terraciano, our senior goalie and the backbone of the defense.”
The Leopards looked to rebound on Wednesday against Central Connecticut State (0-4 overall). They wasted no time setting the tempo, racking up a season-high seven first-quarter goals to seize early control.
“ODU was a pretty tough loss, but we used it to fuel our fire and learn from the game,” Terraciano said. “Today, everyone on the field worked extremely hard, and we definitely connected from offense to defense. I’m really proud of everyone on the team.”
Senior attacker Sara Rogers and junior attacker Olivia Hover each netted a pair during the opening stretch, helping the Maroon and White establish a commanding 7-2 lead.
The offensive onslaught continued into the second quarter, as the Leopards piled on six more goals while limiting the Blue Devils to a single tally, heading into the break up 13-3.
The Maroon and White’s defense tightened in the third quarter, allowing just one goal, while the attack reeled off five straight. Five different Leopards all got on the board in a flurry that stretched from the 7:47 mark down to the closing seconds of the period.
“I have been working really hard all four years, and it is so exciting to finally be out there on the field,” Terraciano said. “However, I couldn’t do it without my defense. They support me throughout every game and make sure I don’t get in my head.”
Three more goals crossed the line for the Leopards in the final frame. Hover completed her hat trick, and junior attacker Mia Putzi notched her first collegiate goal to cap off a dominant performance.
By the final whistle, the Leopards outclassed the Blue Devils in the draw control (24-5) and ground ball battles (19-13). They also fired 41 shots to the Blue Devils’ 11.
The Leopards will continue their out-of-conference games on the road at Villanova University (4-3 overall) on Wednesday.
“We are all super excited to play Villanova,” said Terraciano. “We’re definitely going to use the momentum from these past few games to our advantage.”