The sky was a hue of pink and orange as the University of Richmond women’s lacrosse team sought redemption with a 10-8 victory over Virginia Commonwealth University at Robins Stadium on March 26.
Last season, the Spiders conceded their first-ever loss to the Rams in a heartbreaking 9-7 defeat. The two teams were tied for third place in the conference going into the game, both carrying 3-1 A-10 records. This wasn’t just a game to regain dominance over VCU, but also a vital opportunity to establish a high conference rank. With this victory, Richmond moves to 6-5 for the season, while VCU falls to 5-6.
“I mean, VCU, we have that Carytown rivalry, so it was awesome to get that win and get revenge from last year,” sophomore goalkeeper Abby Francioli said in a postgame press conference.
Richmond won the first draw control of the game before senior attacker Colleen Quinn netted her 34th goal of the season a minute and a half later. After the swift achievement for the Spiders, a scoring drought fell over the field as cleats dug into the ground, and the battle truly began.
Multiple goal attempts and two failed free-position shots left the Rams with no points on the board as the clock loomed over the field. Richmond was also facing problems across the field, racking up several turnovers and fouls.
Graduate attacker Whitney Liebler finally broke the lull, finding the net with back-to-back goals with only two and a half minutes left on the clock. The Rams stumbled, carding a turnover rather than a goal, before Quinn found an opening and slung the ball into the cage again, expanding Richmond’s lead to 4-0.
The Rams came into the second quarter strong, putting pressure on the Spiders with two goals in a row. In similar fashion to the preceding quarter, a large chunk of playing time passed before another goal. While Richmond couldn’t tally a goal for 14 minutes, it did manage to pick up four turnovers, four fouls, and a yellow card.
Turnovers also continued to inhibit the Spiders, the team picking up five in the quarter. Liebler and Quinn continued to be assets for UR, working together to snag a man-up goal to break the drought. VCU insisted on keeping the score gap close, netting a goal with 20 seconds left on the clock, the score 5-3 at the break.
Richmond found its dominant opening slipping away as VCU opened the second half with a goal. With only one point separating the teams, both sought to find separation. When a gap finally opened, junior attacker Alexis Morton slid in and pocketed a goal with five minutes on the clock. Not quite finished, Richmond grabbed another goal with one second remaining.
VCU was hungry for a win, nearly costing Richmond a victory as the game rolled into the final quarter. The Spiders had a 3-1 advantage in the first half of the quarter, doubling the score to 10-5. However, the Rams had more left in the tank and carded a 3-0 run in under two minutes.
“They’re a tough team,” head coach Anne Harrington said postgame. “They never give up. So, they were gonna come at us until the very end.”
In the last goal of the run, a VCU player was so excited she threw her stick off the field. Unfortunately for the Rams, that would be their last celebration of the contest as the buzzer sounded three minutes later, ending any hopes of a VCU victory.
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Richmond had star players on both ends of the field who aided in the victory. Francioli was a force to be reckoned with, recording 13 saves. She also picked up a career milestone of 200 saves.
“She saw seven 8-meters and stopped all of them, which turned out to be huge,” Harrington said. “[It’s] more than you can ask from your goalie, so she had a great day.”
Liebler was a machine, pacing the Spiders with two goals and four assists. Despite being a player who has not seen a lot of playing time during her time at Richmond, she tremendously boosted the Spiders in this matchup.
“Whitney really came alive tonight,” Harrington said. “I think she thrives in tight spaces and really reads defense well, so she was all over the misplays and had some nice deception out there as well.”
Next up, the Spiders face the University of Rhode Island, a young team that’s facing challenges in its first year in the A-10. URI head coach Jenna Slowey will be seeing familiar faces across the field as she came as an assistant coach for the Spiders for five seasons.
“[I’m] excited Rhode Island is in the conference,” Harrington said. “[This is] our first game against them ever, so we will be welcoming them to the A-10 and also welcome Jenna back to Richmond.”
Despite personal connections, Richmond will be seeking to gain some ground in conference play as victories become vital as the season progresses. The two teams will face each other March 29 at 11 a.m. at home.
Contact sports editor Abigail Finney at abigail.finney@richmond.edu.
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