Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Women's Lacrosse team played a tough first half remaining deadlocked with Redlands but couldn't complete the second half comeback as they fell 12-10 at Memorial Stadium.
The Poets played the Bulldogs to a 4-4 tie at intermission but couldn't overcome an early 6-1 run by UR that jump started the second half.
It was a fast moving first half with the Purple & Gold getting on top early 2-0 with goals from Lexie Meanor (Sewickley, PA) and Angelina Cuevas (Long Beach, Calif.). Redlands answered soon after with four of their own to go on top for the first time with two coming from Stephanie Garrett but WC would get it back from Gabby Boller (Howell, NJ) andJess Hansen (Seal Beach, Calif.) who went back to back in the final 3:46, which included the equalizer with :13 seconds left to play.
Summer Stafford and Lacey Bjorndal added the first two goals in the second half to put UR back on top by two until Hansen would pull WC within one at the 20:57 mark being fed by Boller.
Redlands had a quick response however with another run of four straight until Lauren Tudor (Bellevue, WA) would end the run with her first of the game.
The deficit moved to six following back to back strikes from Garrett and Hanna Morford making the score 12-6 but Whittier didn't back down coming up with the final four connections of the game from four different players. Melanie Rizzotti (Mukilteo, WA) got it rolling with a man-down goal with 4:43 to play Meanor and Tudor then went 1-2 in a minute span and Hansen added the last one with 1:37 to play.
Hansen finished the game with three goals and an assist to go with four groundballs. Tudor had two goals and two assists with five groundballs and Meanor totaled two goals, an assist, a groundball, and three draw controls.
Madison Topping (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) played the first 50:52 picking up nine saves against 21 shots. Whittier outshot Redlands 32-29 and was 14-18 on clear attempts. But it came down to free positions where the Poets were 1-12.
Whittier looks to get back on track this Saturday, April 16 as they host Claremont-M-S beginning at 11:00am.
