The AU women's lacrosse team fell to the University of Richmond Spiders 16-12 on a slippery Jacobs Field Wednesday. The Eagles could not hold back the Spiders' offense, despite three goals from seniors Leslie Fischer and Kira Sonberg and freshman Bernadette Maher.
With the rain pelting the turf, both teams battled back and forth in the opening minutes of the game. Sonberg put the Eagles on the board in the fourth minute of the game. The Spiders retaliated with a goal from Sam Tajirian. After falling behind 4-2, the Eagles bounced back and took a 6-4 with less than ten minutes left in the first half.
It didn't take long for the Spiders to regain the lead, as they accumulated three straight goals in less than two minutes. By the time the first-half whistle blew, Sonberg notched her third goal, bringing the score to 7-7.
The rain began to fall harder as the second half opened and the players once again took the field. Looking to regain its first half momentum, the Eagles took an 8-7 lead after an Anne Marie Person goal. The Spiders quickly retaliated with a five-goal run that put the game almost out of the Eagles' reach.
Maher tallied two goals to narrow the lead to two, but again, the Spiders were able to counteract the rally with two goals of their own. The Eagles scored two more goals before the final whistle, but it wasn't enough to surmount the Spiders' lead.
The loss brought the Eagles' record to 3-12 on the season. With their last game of the season Saturday, against the College of the Holy Cross Crusaders, the Eagles are looking to gain some momentum before they begin the Patriot League tournament on April 24.
You can reach this staff writer at sflynn@theeagleonline.com.
