An unfamiliar opponent got the best of the Fort Lewis College women’s lacrosse team in their first-ever matchup.
The FLC Skyhawks (3-1, 1-0 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) lost 10-8 in overtime of a non-conference game against New York’s Mercy College in a game played at Regis University in Denver.
The game was tied 4-4 at halftime, with the Skyhawks outshooting the Mavericks 12-8, but Mercy College came out strong in the second half to establish an 8-5 lead.
FLC stormed back late to tie the game, but the Skyhawks didn’t score in overtime, and Mercy College scored two to put the game away.
“The whole game our defense was making really good stops on defense, but then our transition passes just weren’t connecting,” FLC head coach Kelsey MacDonald said. “Our defense is really strong when they don’t get tired, but we broke down after constantly playing defense. They took advantage and found openings to score.”
Marissa DiCecco and Abby Kvidera each scored two goals for FLC. Ellie Carpenter, Ally Kvidera, Jessica Norby and Brooke Wineland each scored one.
Kelsey Bub led Mercy College with four goals. Nicole Augustine added three more.
FLC goalie Alyssa Spencer made five saves.
MacDonald said the game served as a good eye-opener for her team after they started the season 3-0.
“The first three games we knew we would do well if we played well. This was the first game we knew it would be tough,” she said. “It shows we need to play our game at all times no matter who we play.”
The Skyhawks return home for a 3 p.m. Monday game against RMAC opponent Rockhurst University.
“We are excited to be able to go into that game and put this one behind us,” MacDonald said. “We have three games the next week, and that will be very good for us. Having a week and a half between games has been hard, and we are looking forward to this stretch where we can stay in the swing of things.”
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