Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – It was a story of two halves Saturday as the Whittier College women's lacrosse team came from behind after trailing 11-3 at the break to fall 16-12 in a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) showdown with the University of Redlands.
The Poets remain winless in SCIAC competition but it will be only be a matter of time before they break through with two match-ups remaining in the regular season against Claremont-M-S and Occidental College and an opportunity to play in the SCIAC Post Season Tournament.
Redlands opened up the scoring with two quick goals until freshman Taylor Pool was found cutting to the goal from fellow freshman Jess Hansen that cut the deficit to one.
UR would add to their lead with five unanswered over a ten minute span before Lily Baxter would find the back of the goal on a free position. After yet another Bulldog run that moved the score to 11-2, Pool would add her second of the game at the 3:22 mark that sent the Purple & Gold into the break trailing 11-3 their largest halftime deficit of the season.
"I told the girls at the half that if they wanted to have an impact on this game that they were going to have to dig deep and start playing their game, together as a team," explained Head Coach Trish Bonagura.
The Bulldogs would swap goalies out of the break and the Poets made them pay outscoring Redlands 9-5 getting within five 15-10 midway through the frame. Shaina Denny added the first of the half and was followed by two from Hansen both coming on free positions. Three minutes later Denny would add her second and Rachel Lansner would connect on a free position that moved Whittier into striking distance forcing Redlands to take a timeout.
Allie Hoffler would stop the bleeding with 12:38 to play but the Poets would go on a 4-1 run to close out the game with a free position from Tiffany Reyes, an unassisted goal from Denny, a man down goal from Tully Tampakes, and a third from Hansen that moved the score to 16-12.
Despite the run it wouldn't be enough to upend the Bulldogs as they would hold on for the road victory.
Nicole Yorba played all sixty minutes with nine saves on 25 shots. Hansen led the offense with three goals on four shots, an assist, five draw controls, three groundballs, and a caused turnover.
Redlands only outshot Whittier by one 27-26 but the Purple & Gold held the advantage on groundballs 28-25, and free positions 5-17.
Whittier hits the road this Friday, April 16 as they travel to Claremont, Calif. to take on the Athena's of Claremont-M-S a day prior to taking on Occidental College at home Saturday, April 19 at 11:00am for Senior Day.
