CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Roger Williams University Women's Lacrosse team overcame a 5-0 deficit and staved off a late rally by MIT to come away with a 16-13 win over the Engineers Wednesday evening.
 
Hawk Highlights
Mandy Beck: 2 goals, 3 assists, 1 ground ball, 2 caused turnovers, 6 draw controls
Brooke McErlain: 4 goals, 2 ground balls, 1 caused turnover, 2 draw controls
Lily Cunningham: 1 goal, 1 caused turnover, 7 draw controls
Karli Chapin: 1 goal, 5 caused turnovers, 3 draw controls
Hannah Goodwin: 5 saves, 13 goals allowed, 1 ground ball, 60:00 minutes in goal
 
For The Opponents
Meredith Arterburn: 4 goals, 5 draw controls
Ali Hoffman: 2 goals, 2 caused turnovers, 3 draw controls
Sydney Pyon: 2 goals, 3 draw controls
Kiely Smiga-McManus: 13 saves, 16 goals allowed, 2 ground balls, 2 caused turnovers, 60:00 minutes in goal
 
How It Happened
Roger Williams fell behind early as MIT rattled off five unanswered goals over the first eight minutes of play. Ellie Rabenold (Cincinnati, Ohio) scored two of the five Engineer goals over that span to help put MIT up 5-0 with 7:04 to play in the first. The Hawks quickly came storming back, with Lily Cunningham (Melrose, Mass.), Brooke McErlain (Hampton, N.H.), Nikki Norton (Braintree, Mass.), and Campbell Haller (Nashua, N.H.) each scoring over the remainder of the period to pull RWU within one.
 
The Hawk defense stepped up in the second quarter, holding the Engineers to only one goal in the period coming in the first two minutes. Alternatively, the Hawks put together four goals in the quarter, with Karli Chapin (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) notching the go-ahead score. RWU would go into halftime with an 8-6 lead.
 
The rally for Roger Williams would continue in the third quarter. The Hawks extended their lead to eight (14-6) with six straight goals to open the third. Rabenold and Lindsey Gambino (Garden City, N.Y.) each scored to bring MIT within six to enter the fourth.
 
After another Rabenold goal to open the fourth, McErlain and Julia Kelley (Foxborough, Mass.) both scored within a minute of each of other to bring the lead back up to seven. MIT would not go down quietly, rattling off three straight goals to make it a 12-16 game with 5:49 to play. RWU held the Engineers to one more late goal with 1:27 to play to escape with the three-goal win.
 
What's Next
Roger Williams (6-1): Friday, March 25 vs. Gordon @ 4:00 pm
MIT (1-2): Saturday, March 19 vs. Mount Holyoke @ 12:00pm