Women's Lacrosse Rallies Past UNE, 10-8

BIDDEFORD, Maine – The visiting Bridgewater State University women's lacrosse team edged the University of New England, 10-8, in a tightly-contested matchup on Friday evening at UNE's Blue Bolt Field.

The Bears improve to 1-2 with their first victory of the season, while the host Nor'easters fall to 0-3.

Senior midfielder Delaney Langton (Scituate, R.I.) paced Bridgewater State with a game and career-high five goals.

The Bears also received tallies from senior midfielder Hayley Carron (Hopedale, Mass.), senior attacks Katie Swart (Bridgewater, Mass.) and Katherine Tracy (Marion, Mass.), junior midfielder Katie O'Brien (Pembroke, Mass.) and freshman midfielder Erin McIntyre (Tewksbury, Mass.).

McIntyre's fourth quarter free position strike marked the first of her collegiate career as well as the game-winner for the Bears.

Junior attack Ann Chapman (Kingston, Mass.) paced UNE with three goals and an assist, while graduate midfielder Anna Stowell (Sutton, N.H.) potted a pair of markers for the Nor'easters.

The game was tied at 4-4 after an evenly played first half which featured four ties. Each team committed 16 turnovers over the first 30 minutes, while UNE held a 6-4 edge in draw controls. Langton notched three first-half goals for the Bears, while four different players found the back of the net for the Nor'easters.

UNE took an 8-6 lead with 2:52 remaining in the third quarter following back-to-back goals by Chapman and senior attack Nicole Corriveau (Colchester, Vt.). The Nor'easters, however, would not score again.

O'Brien converted off an assist from Carron late in the third to cut the deficit to one, and Langton knotted the score at 8-8 with 11:10 remaining in the fourth quarter. That would set up McIntyre's heroics as the rookie buried what proved to be the game-winner off the free position with 8:52 showing on the scoreboard. The score remained 9-8 until the clock ticked under two minutes left to play as Swart provided a key insurance goal on a free position attempt.

Bridgewater State finished with a 12-10 advantage in draw controls including an 8-4 edge in the second half. The Bears also outshot the Nor'easters by a margin of 30-26.

Freshman netminder Brooke La Torra (Oak Park, Calif.) made 11 saves to record her first collegiate win between the pipes for the Bears. La Torra made three key stops over the final six minutes to help secure the victory.

Junior goalkeeper Madison Bruzzese (Reading, Mass.) turned aside 13 shots for UNE. Five of Bruzzese's 13 saves came in the fourth quarter.

Carron and senior defender Taylor Carroll (Carver, Mass.) led the BSU defensive effort with two caused turnovers apiece, while McIntyre, graduate defender Kelsi Brennan (Dedham, Mass.) and senior attack Jacqueline DeLorey (Westwood, Mass.) each recorded three ground balls.

UNE junior midfielder Mollie Patenaude (Brattleboro, Vt.) led all players with five ground balls.

The Bears are back in action next Tuesday (March 8) when they travel to Birmingham, Alabama to take on the Panthers of Birmingham-Southern College at six o'clock, while the Nor'easters entertain the Lyons of Wheaton College on Sunday afternoon at one.