RIVERDALE, N.Y. – The Lafayette women's lacrosse team found itself in an incredibly even defensive battle on Saturday afternoon in Riverdale, New York, but couldn't get over the hump in the second half to trim the deficit in a 9-7 defeat on the road at Manhattan.
The first half was played back-and-forth with both sides answering the others' scores, not allowing a run in a 5-4 lead for the home side at the break. The second started the same with senior co-captain
Emma Novick answering an early Jaspers goal to make it a 6-5 game with 19:48 left.
Then, the only run of the game on back-to-back goals from Manhattan's Emily Englert and Talia Price swung momentum for good, putting the Leopards down three, 8-5. Novick and junior
Jen Rowan sandwiched another Price tally to take the game to the final five minutes within two, but both defenses stood tough and didn't allow a goal the rest of the way for a 9-7 final.
The loss is the first for the Maroon and White in 2019, falling to 3-1 this season, while Manhattan improves to 3-1 with the victory. Nikki Prestiano picked up the win for the Jaspers between the pipes with eight saves, while sophomore
Quinn Lacy suffered her first loss with seven stops for the Maroon and White.
Novick added an assist to her pair of goals to lead the Leopards offensively. Classmate
Jane Kirby was the only other Lafayette player with multiple tallies, netting two, as Rowan and seniors
Mairead Janzer and
Hannah Davey scored one apiece.
Davey, senior co-captain
Annelise Kinney and Janzer caused two turnovers each on the defensive side of the ball, while Davey led the way in draw controls with six. Novick and senior
Elise Ashford were the ground ball leaders with four each.
Manhattan held a slim edge in shots, 26-25, but Lafayette got the better of the ground balls, 30-27. Draw controls finished at nine aside, and the two sides combined to go just 1-for-8 on eight-meter opportunities.
Lafayette stays on the road through the week for its next contest on Wednesday, traveling to Binghamton for a 3 p.m. clash with the Bearcats.
