March 25, 2007
Final Stats
FAIRFIELD, CT (March 25, 2007) - The Sacred Heart women's lacrosse team battled back from a 7-1 first half deficit and held a 12-10 lead midway through the second half but couldn't hold on as Robert Morris scored four unanswered to come away with a 14-12 win in Northeast Conference play Sunday afternoon in Fairfield. The Pioneers got five goals from senior Brianna Bubeck (Bethlehem, NY) and three goals and two assists from junior Liz Ottey (Baltimore, MD) as SHU falls to 2-4 overall and 1-1 in the NEC. The Colonials improve to 4-5 and 1-0 in league play.
Robert Morris (4-5, 1-0 NEC) burst out of the gates putting three goals on the board by the 27:07 mark, forcing a SHU timeout. Bethany Mahaffey got the scoring started with an 8meter free position goal at 28:01 followed by unassisted markers from Jillian Howley and Emily Tomlinson at 27:17 and 27:07 to seize the early advantage. The Colonials kept their early run going, running out to a 7-1 advantage with 16:33 on the clock with the only SHU score coming off the stick of Alyssa Harris (Kings Park, NY).
Sacred Heart (2-4, 1-1 NEC) began to mount a comeback with 15:45 left, using a 6-1 run to pull within 8-7 of the Colonials. Junior Katie Salamone (Baltimore, MD) scored unassisted at 15:45 and sophomore Amanda Williams (Monroe, CT) took the ensuing draw, racing in for an unassisted tally of her own just seven seconds later. Bubeck notched her first of the afternoon on a feed from Mary Montesarchio (Cortlandt Manor, NY) followed by Ottey's first at 6:02 to complete a 4-0 jaunt to get within 7-5.
After a Kara Blakeley score, Bubeck and Williams posted goals at 3:53 and 3:23 to get SHU within a goal, 8-7. The Colonials went to leading scorer Jenn Collins for her second of the half off a feed from Blakeley as she sent her team into the half with a 9-7 lead.
The Pioneers took control right out of the break using a 4-0 run to tie the game and take their first lead. Bubeck got SHU started with her second goal, unassisted, at 28:17. Ottey knotted the game at 9-9 on an 8meter free position shot at 26:46. The SHU offense went back to Bubeck and she delivered with her third and fourth goals to give the Pioneers a two-goal, 11-9, lead with 21:18 on the clock.
Robert Morris answered the run at 19:52 as Ashley Levering converted a pass from Pam Deguffroy to pull within one, 11-10. Ottey pushed the SHU lead back to two, 12-10, at 13:59, hitting her second 8meter score of the day. The Colonials again cut the lead to one on Josephine Zizic's ninth goal of the year from Blakeley at 10:22. Ottey was sent off with a yellow card at 9:18 and the Colonials took full advantage, swinging the momentum and scoring three times in the span of 1:14 to take the lead back for good.
Deguffroy scored from Zizic at 8:41 followed quickly by Collin's third goal of the day at 8:20 to put RMU back in front, 13-12. Levering tacked on the insurance goal at 7:27 off a feed from Tomlinson.
SHU freshman Carissa Hauser (East Northport, NY) won the draw but RMU goalkeeper Erica Webb turned away Salamone and Bubeck and stopped a free-position by Salamone on the Sacred Heart possession. After a pair of Robert Morris turnovers gave SHU the ball back, Ottey got the ball and made her way to goal but RMU's Meghan Wheeler forced a turnover and the Colonials successfully cleared and killed off 3:21 to preserve the win.
SHU's Chelsea Wagner (Aurora, CO) relieved Laurine Stafin (Spring Lake, NJ) in goal and made five saves in nearly 47 minutes of action. The Pioneers held a 27-26 edge on shots.
Robert Morris got three goals and an assist from Collins and a pair of goals and assists from Blakeley. Tomlinson scored twice and assisted on another in the win. Webb finished with eight saves in earning the win.
After playing their first six games at home the Pioneers will take to the road to face Lafayette on Tuesday, March 27th at 3:00 pm.
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