BRISTOL, R.I. – The Roger Williams University (RWU) Women's Lacrosse team got out to a hot start, scoring five goals in the opening eight minutes of action, but were unable to hold off Skidmore, falling to the Thoroughbreds, 15-9.
The Skidmore offense was run primarily through Julia Cafasso who tallied three goals and two assists for five points, while picking up three ground balls, and forcing a pair of turnovers. Lily Hudner and Piper Morgan each had three goals, while Allison Brewer chipped in two goals and an assist. In net, Tatum Walsh allowed nine goals with eight saves in the game, while Charlotte Taylor helped control possession with four draw controls.
Allie Shamberger (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) tallied four points with three goals and an assist, while Jamie Anthony (Somers, Conn.) potted three goals in the game, with Molly Schmitz (Hamden, Conn.) earning a goal and an assist. Miranda Hayes (South Burlington, Vt.) had nine draw controls while Anthony pulled in a pair. Aizza Chase (Cohasset, Mass.) had 15 goals allowed, while making 11 stops, multiple from right in front of the cage.
The Hawks went 2-for-6 on free position shots, while holding Skidmore to one goal in three chances. The Hawks cleared 11 of 18 attempts, while the Thoroughbreds tallied 14 successful clears to 21 opportunities. Groundballs were 28-19 in favor of Skidmore, while outshooting the Hawks 39-22, with 23 attempts on target to Roger Williams' 11.
After Hayes won the opening draw for the Hawks, Anthony tallied her first goal of the season, putting RWU up 1-0 just 44 seconds into the game. The Hawks continued to strike fast, a foul on the draw gave the Hawks possession, that Anthony buried a second goal, 1:07 later. After Shamberger tallied another goal for the Hawks after another draw win by Hayes, taking a 3-0 lead, with 12:33 remaining off the feed from Schmitz, Hayes tallied her first goal of the year, with Schmitz forcing a turnover on the clear attempt. Shamberger then found Hayes with 10:05 remaining in the opening quarter for a 4-0 lead.
After Hayes struck again with the player advantage to take a 5-0 lead with 7:42 remaining in the first quarter, the Thoroughbreds were finally able to strike through. Phoebe Ross found Lauren Hughey open in front of the net, and Hughey then fired her second goal of the season by Chase. The Hawks added a sixth goal in the frame as Mikayla Fey (Bethlehem, Pa.) found Schmitz, as the first-year tallied her first goal of the season, with just over a minute remaining in the first to take a 6-1 lead into the second stanza.
Skidmore shifted momentum in the second quarter, with Olivia Emerson taking advantage of a player advantage for her first of the season. Julia Cafasso then scored back-to-back goals for Skidmore, including one while down a player, cutting the deficit to two. After Morgan tallied her 14th goal of the season, Anthony extended the lead for RWU back out to two with 1:05 remaining, but Hudner would strike with just over 33 seconds on the clock to take a one-goal deficit into the break.
Skidmore continued the hot stretch into the second half, with Cafasso scoring her third goal of the game to level the score just 38 seconds into the half. Hudner would get a feed from Cafasso and convert her shot for the first Thoroughbred lead of the game, one they would not relinquish. Morgan, Taylor, and Hillary Noble each added a goal to push the deficit for the Hawks to four, ahead of Shamberger taking advantage of a player advantage. Brewer's sixth of the season led to a 12-8 deficit for the Hawks heading into the final quarter.
Skidmore would score three more times, before Shamberger's third goal, completing the hat trick, closed out the scoring.
Roger Williams (0-3, 0-0 CNE) will travel to face MIT on Thursday, Mar. 12 at 6:00 pm. The Hawks will then host Vassar on Saturday, Mar. 14 to round out Spring Break.
