ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Despite putting together a three-goal run over the final three and a half minutes of play, the Wheeling Jesuit women's lacrosse team fell to Roberts Wesleyan College, 13-12, on Tuesday afternoon.
The Cardinals trailed, 13-9, with 7:05 remaining. Jessie Tufnell scored twice and Elizabeth Hales once, and WJU found itself down by only one score, 13-12, with 30 seconds remaining. The Cardinals were unable to complete the comeback, as Olivia Krock's shot soared just over the net, and WJU would fall to the Redhawks.
"We ran out of time, in each half really, as we found ourselves in a hole. We had to do everything possible to battle back to try and even the score," stressed WJU coach Tim Florence.
WJU (4-4) fell behind early, as Roberts Wesleyan (4-5) took a 2-0 lead less than four minutes into the action. Tufnell put the Cardinals on the scoreboard with her 21st goal of the season. The Redhawks answered for the next three goals, and led the Cardinals, 5-1.
Hales, who was announced as this week's MEC Offensive Player of the Week earlier today, found the back of the net for her 29th time this season with 18:08 remaining in the first half to bring WJU within three scores, 5-2.
Paige Plesich scored the next Cardinals goal (14:39), and WJU trailed, 6-3, midway through the opening half. Roberts Wesleyan would claim the next two scores, before Tufnell and Hales scored goals 20 seconds apart from each other.
The Redhawks managed to take a 9-5 lead before the Cardinals charted the final three goals of the first half.
Tufnell added her third goal of the day with 2:48 remaining in the first half, while Hales finished off her third score of the afternoon a minute later. Markie Wright joined in on the scoring, and WJU would trail by just one goal, 9-8, heading into the half.
Tufnell assisted on an Olivia Krock score, the first goal of the second half, and WJU tied the contest at nine apiece.
Roberts Wesleyan would rattle off the next four scores to take a 13-9 upper hand.
Tufnell and Hales would add the last three WJU scores, but the Cardinals comeback would fall short, as they fell to the Redhawks, 13-12.
"With around 3:20 left in the game, the team rallied. Jessie (Tufnell) provided a spark with a free position score to get the rally started," Florence added. "Elizabeth (Hales) added a goal just a little after, and then Paige (Plesich) found Jessie for an open-netter with under a minute to go. We were unable to win the draw control, but forced a turnover and had possession with 14 seconds remaining. Olivia's (Krock) shot missed by just inches as time expired."
Tufnell and Hales combined for nine of the 12 WJU goals. Tufnell scored two of her five goals in the last three minutes of the game, while Hales scored three of her four in the first half, while assisting on three other scores.
Plesich, Krock, and Wright completed the WJU scoring. Plesich also dished out one assist and caused two turnovers. Krock secured one groundball and Wright caused a team-high three turnovers.
Kori Hickman handed out two assists, caused one turnover and scooped up one groundball on the afternoon. Taelor Mailoux and Holly Deckert each picked up two groundballs and caused one turnover.
WJU returns to Wheeling for back-to-back home games, Thursday March 31 and Friday April 1. The Cardinals host Alderson Broaddus at 6 p.m. on Thursday and Urbana University on Friday at 5 p.m.
