The women’s lacrosse team will look to build on its momentum from Tuesday’s close win over Holy Cross as it prepares for a weekend contest against Yale.
Bruno (4-1, 0-1 Ivy) clinched its latest victory in dramatic fashion, with Marissa Hudgins ’18 scoring the winning goal with only 11 seconds left in the game.
In Bruno’s hard-fought win over the Crusaders (1-6, 1-0 Patriot), neither squad ever led by more than three goals. It was a tightly contested match, with the teams trading the lead back and forth for the majority of the game.
Lauren Toy ’16 dominated the first half for the Bears, notching a hat trick over the course of the 30-minute period. Hudgins contributed a goal as well, leaving the Bears and the Crusaders tied at four at the end of the first half.
Richael Walsh ’16 opened the second half with two goals within the span of a single minute to give the Bears a two-goal lead. Yuna Hur ’18 netted a goal to put Bruno up by three.
But the Bears could not avoid a challenge from the Crusaders. Two unanswered Holy Cross goals inched the Crusaders to within one of Bruno’s lead. Another goal from Abby Bunting ’15 widened the margin, but the Crusaders quickly responded, bringing Bruno back to teetering on a one-goal buffer.
With less than 10 minutes left in play, Bunting and Walsh each scored again to give the Bears a three-goal lead. But down by three with four minutes left on the clock, the Crusaders launched a serious comeback attempt. In less than 90 seconds and with the Bears missing two players due to penalties, Holy Cross found the back of Bruno’s net three times, tying the game with two minutes left.
In what turned out to be a very smart move, the Bears pulled goalie Kellie Roddy ’15. Roddy capitalized on the opportunity, intercepting a Holy Cross pass and getting the ball into the Bears’ sticks in Crusader territory. The rookie Hudgins found a hole in a dense defense to find the back of the net and give Bruno a hard-earned 11-10 win.
“It was great to gut out a win like that,” said Head Coach Keely McDonald ’00. After reviewing the game, we will make some adjustments to keep getting stronger as a team.”
On Saturday, Bruno will face another team with one Ivy loss on its record. Needless to say, the game promises to be an exciting contest. The Bears fell to Yale (3-3, 0-1) by only one goal last year, so confidence in their finishing ability will be critical to their success this season.
Bulldogs goalie Erin Mullins will put Roddy to the test. While Roddy leads the league with 38 saves, Mullins trails her by just three. Solid offensive efforts powered by Erin Magnuson, Kerri Fleishhacker and Tess McEvoy have fueled the Bulldogs’ scoring. Yale has lost two consecutive games, so it will likely be hungry for a win.
“Leadership will be important for us on Saturday,” McDonald said. “We are looking forward to the opportunity to compete against another strong Ivy team.”
