ERIE, Pa. (March 14) - The Wheeling Jesuit women's lacrosse team fell short to Gannon 16-15 in the Thursday afternoon non-conference game.
The Cardinals drop to 2-3, while the Golden Knights improve their record to 2-1.
Freshman
Mackenzie Kaderabek (Annapolis, Md./St. Mary's) led both teams with an impressive 10 goals, while also tallying seven draw control wins for WJU.
The Cardinals got on the board first after junior
Hayley Holmquist (Temecula, Calif./Temecula Valley) scored with less than a minute gone from the clock. Gannon retaliated with five-unanswered goals, making the score 5-1 with 13 minutes left in the first half. Sophomore
Paige Orbell (Severn, Md./Old Mill) claimed four draw control wins for Wheeling Jesuit, giving the team offensive opportunities. Kaderabek brought the Cardinals within three by the halftime by breaking up the Golden Knights' streak and putting two in the back of the net.
WJU came out strong in the second half, taking initiative and scoring two goals within three minutes. Gannon immediately answered with two goals of their own, but Kaderabek fired three more in the back of the net for the Cardinals which tied the game 8-8 at the 21-minute mark. The Golden Knights decided to take a timeout, and came back to win a draw control and go up one. After five minutes of silence on both ends, Gannon took control once more and scored three goals creating a 12-8 lead.
The teams went back and forth scoring goals until the two minute mark when the Cardinals came within one. The Golden Knights were able add to their lead, going up 16-14. WJU worked hard and got one more goal to climb closer, but Gannon was able to hold their lead and win, 16-15.
Orbell and Holmquist each added two goals for the Cardinals, while sophomore
Megan Mangia (Gahanna, Ohio/Bishop Hartley) recorded one. Senior
Ally Coggins (Mt. Airy, Md./Linganore) helped the team by adding three assists.
Sophomore goalkeeper Liz Hanks (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) tallied 16 saves for WJU.
The Cardinals travel back home to take on Lake Erie Storm in another non-conference matchup on Sunday, March 17 at 12 p.m.
