DETROIT, Mich. – A furious rally that saw the Presbyterian College
women's lacrosse team score the final three goals in its game against Detroit
Mercy on Saturday came up just one goal short as the Blue Hose dropped the
contest, 15-14.
PC moves to 4-10 overall and 2-3 in the National Lacrosse
Conference while Detroit picks up its first NLC win to improve to 1-5 in league
play and 2-9 overall.
Kirstin Stenoien (Houston, Texas) led the Blue Hose with
four goals and an assist while Shannon Hartford (Georgetown, Mass.) added a
pair of goals and assists for four points on the day. PC received scoring from
all over the roster as a total of nine different players tallied a goal in the
game.
Brianne Ward (Cincinnati, Ohio) controlled six draws, the
second-most of any member of the team this season.
Goalkeeper Susan England made seven saves in each half but
saw her record change to 4-10. England also collected team-high four ground
balls.
Stenoien kicked off the scoring 46 seconds after the opening
draw and again nine minutes in from Hartford to give PC a 2-1 lead. After three
Detroit goals, Hartford scored her first of the day followed by Catherine Ellis
(Charlotte, N.C.) converting Liz Davis' (Alpharetta, Ga.) first assist of the
season to pull within one, 5-4.
The teams traded goals until halftime as Rachel Sweeney
(Waxhaw, N.C.) picked up her fourth goal of the year thanks to a Renee Blais
(Alpharetta, Ga.) pass and Stenoien completed her hat trick shortly before the break.
The goal broke the 20-goal barrier for Stenoien, the second member of the Blue
Hose to accomplish that feat this season. PC trailed at intermission, 7-6.
Detroit jumped to a four-goal lead thanks to three scores to
start the second half but the Blue Hose would respond. Ward connected with
Lauren Lefeber (Waxhaw, N.C.) on Lefeber's eighth and Ellis used a Stenoien
assist to make the score 11-8 in favor of the home team.
The Titans added another but Katie Prisco (West Babylon,
N.C.) and Hartford each tallied back-to-back goals as the Detroit lead shrunk
by two, 12-10.
Anne-Marie Smith (Maitland, Fla.) found the net after
another Detroit goal, but Detroit re-opened its four-goal advantage with 4:21
to play.
The dire situation brought the Blue Hose offense to life as
PC opened up a rally in a bid to pull out the win.
Ward began the run by putting a shot past Detroit goalkeeper
Jenna Alberts on her 10th of the season, clawing back to 15-12.
Laura Meade (Acworth, Ga.) received a Hartford pass and scored
her first of the game 26 seconds later as the Blue Hose make it 15-13.
Stenoien added one last goal as the clock read 2:07 to pull
within one, but PC could not tie up the game and the contest ended with Detroit
ahead, 15-14.
The Blue Hose return to action on Saturday when the team
hosts Jacksonville at 12:30 p.m. at Old Bailey Stadium.
