Worcester Drops Tight Battle with Hartwick

Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Lacrosse (4-2, 0-0) returns to action this morning, taking on Hartwick College (2-2, 0-0) in the first of two games in Panama City Beach, Florida. The Lancers were coming off a late game loss on Thursday versus Emmanuel and looked to get back on the winning track and grab win number five on the season.

Final

Hartwick: 14

Worcester State: 13

How it Happened:

The Lancers were quick to get the action started in the game with just under a minute into play when junior Ashley Hurley (Feeding Hills, MA) sent the ball careening past Hawk's first year goalie Brooke Lynett (Acton, MA) off a pinpoint pass from first year Meghan Bowen (Westfield, MA). While Hartwick would attempt to respond in their next possessions, the Lancer defense was in top form causing turnover all across the field. Just four minutes later Worcester would respond with goal number two when graduate student Shea Jarvis (Auburn, MA) sent a junior Abigail Wing (Griswold, CT) pass into the net. Hartwick would call a time out after the play, in a bid to not let the game get away from them too early, and were able to use the time to formulate a defensive pressure that would see them force a failed clearance. After a Lancer foul in the ensuing attack, the Hawk's junior Kristen Vaccarelli (Dix Hills, NY) would gain a free position attempt and a goal for Hartwick. The timeout certainly resettled the Hawks as the next five minutes would see each team working the midfield game and vying for a goal, but it would be Hartwick that tied up the game with just over two minutes to go. Another foul on the Lancers defense would give the Hawks another free position shot, this time for junior Hannah Goodreau (North Reading, MA), who sent the ball past junior Olivia Lavalle (Peabody, MA). Just 30 seconds later, and another foul on Worcester, Vaccarelli would be back in place for another free position attempt that would put Hartwick ahead 3-2.

Harwtick would take the two goal lead just under two minutes into the second, this time in action, as Goodreau would receive a pass from junior Katrina Martin (Middlesex, NY). The Lancers would quickly win the next draw control and head down field for an attempt to get a goal back but a shot wide saw the Hawks back in possession and racing down field where just 30 seconds later Vaccarelli would go solo on the goal to send Hartwick ahead by three. Worcester would now take a timeout to reset the momentum for the squad. The Blue and Gold would come out of their timeout aggressive on the attack but Hartwick's defense would not let up resulting in a back and forth battle for the next four minutes before another free position attempt by Hartwick's Vaccarelli would put the Hawks up 6-2. The Lancers would not let the goal rattle them though, picking up where they left off on the attack just over a minute later the Lancers finally met with success as sophomore Molly Witkowski (Greenville, NY) would land a Wing pass into the back of the goal. 

Free position attempts though where the achilles heal of the day for Worcester as Harwtick secured another attempt and goal, this time from junior Kara Anderson (Collingwood, Ontario) to take a 7-3 lead. Just forty seconds later though the Lancers would respond with a free position of their own as Hurley stepped in a fire for goal number four. Minutes later Jarvis would grab the team's fifth goal, this time with the help of Witkowski as Worcester worked to cut into the Hawks lead before halftime. A double green card situation for the Lancers would appear to be a stalling point in their attempt before half but after a Witkowski scoop of the ball off a junior Teresa DiNamo (Lynnfield, MA) turnover, she would charge down the field for goal number six which would see the Lancers head into the half down just a single goal.

LaValle had seven saves in the first half with a ground ball pick up to her credit, while Jarvis and Hurley led the Lancers with two goals each.

The start of the third would see more of the end of the first half as Hartwick would grab a quick goal early from Vaccerelli but the Lancers would respond just as quickly from Hurley to see the first minute of action with a goal for each side. A back and forth battle would commence after the early quarter action broken up by a Hawks senior Ellie Stringer (Rensselaer, NY) goal just over five minutes in. Three minutes later would see another free position goal for the Hawks as Anderson placed in goal number ten, but Worcester would not miss a beat in responding. Junior Hannah Erickson (Dunstable, MA) would control a pass from sophomore Mikayla Fisher (Peabody, MA) for one, followed, nearly immediately up, by a Witkowski solo goal to put Worcester back within one. Hartwick would push their lead to two just over a minute later when senior Claudia Pollaro (Queensbury, NY) would send the ball from Martin past the defense and in for goal number 11. 

Witkowski would go it alone again for Worcester's 10th goal to keep them in the chase of the Hawks as they continued to go goal for goal with Hartwick. As the final seconds of the third clicked down, Hartwick's Anderson would drop in goal number 12 to send the game into the fourth quarter sitting as 12-10 as the Lancers prepared to make the final push to reclaim the lead. 

Worcester would not take long, with just a minute and half into the final quarter of regulation, Hurley took Jarvis' pass for a goal which was then followed up under 30 seconds later as Wing sent in Erickson's pass for the tying goal making it a race to the lead between Worcester and Hartwick. 

The Lancers would grab the edge first off a man-up goal from sophomore Cailey Ryan (Acton, MA) to Jarvis, but two minutes later Hartwick would answer with a tying goal from their goal scorer Vaccarelli. It would take just another minute for the hawk's Anderson to grab the 14-13 lead with three minutes remaining putting the pressure on Worcester to grab a goal to keep the game going. Worcester would give it everything they had for the final three minutes but the Hawks pressure was just too much as the clock hit 0 with Worcester down 14-13.

LaValle would end the game with 14 saves and two ground balls, while Jarvis and Hurley each ended the day with three goals. Fisher would lead the Lancers in draw controls, winning five while junior Jordyn Collins (Peabody, MA)  nabbed five ground balls in the action.

What is Next:

Worcester State (4-3,0-0) will return to action on Thursday in Panama City Beach as they take on Keene State in game two of their spring break challenge. First draw is set for 11amET.