Spiders topple Villanova after disastrous first quarter

The University of Richmond women’s lacrosse team managed to come back from a 6-1 deficit against Villanova University, winning 15-10 on Saturday, April 19. 

The Spiders took a short pause in conference play to take on Villanova, a team they had only faced once in a challenging 14-13 overtime win in 2019.​​ The Big East conference’s Wildcats were hungry to pick up a win against the Spiders, coming out of the gate ready to play. 

The first quarter was disastrous for Richmond, not managing to fumble past the Villanova goalkeeper. The Wildcats put the first points on the board, netting an early goal. And the Spiders were only able to generate a turnover before Villanova slung another goal, its lead expanding to 2-0. 

Richmond was given a free position shot following two fouls and a green card, but still couldn’t capitalize. The Wildcats managed two more goals before the Spiders finally found the back of the cage. UR continued to try to close the gap, but kept finding their shots saved. On the other side of the field, Villanova had no qualms about tallying two more goals, taking a 6-1 lead at the buzzer. 

“They had us on our heels in the first quarter and challenged us the entire game," Head Coach Anne Harrington said in a postgame press release.

The chance of a victory for Richmond was narrow if the game continued in the same manner. The Spiders desperately needed to gain control. A yellow card on the Wildcats gave UR the man-up chance the Spiders needed, junior attacker Alexis Morton netted a goal. In the next three minutes, Richmond recorded three more goals, closing the gap to 6-5. 

A free position shot by redshirt first-year midfielder Bridget Lonsinger tied the game, but the Spiders didn’t stop there. Richmond recorded two more goals, all while holding the Wildcats scoreless in the quarter. 

Keeping up their dominance, the Spiders opened the second half with a 3-0 run, furthering their 11-6 lead. Villanova finally made a goal for the first time since the first quarter midway through the third quarter. Despite winning the following draw control, the Wildcats immediately turnovered, leading to another Spider goal. 

The next five minutes marked three turnovers and two fouls for Villanova, but it couldn’t find the cage again. Richmond didn’t have the same troubles, securing two more. 

The Wildcats outscored the Spiders in the final period, but it did little to close the expansive 13-7 gap. Villanova opened the quarter with a goal before Richmond retaliated with two of its own. Draw controls pushed the Wildcats past the Spiders as Richmond only picked up one the entire quarter. Picking up two more goals, the Wildcats took advantage of a green card and a yellow card on graduate attacker Whitney Liebler to put points on the board. 

The Spiders struggled to finish the game strong, spending the last minutes of the game picking up three turnovers, two failed clear attempts and a foul. 

“Today's comeback win provided a boost to our confidence and our resiliency,” Harrington said.

“We are reminded that every game has challenges but we managed the storm and found our way back to our game. I am impressed with the fire and fight this team showed today and I know we are preparing to play our best lacrosse yet in the coming weeks.”

Richmond will finish the regular season on April 26 at Saint Joseph’s University. The Spiders will look to defend a three game winning streak and a 20-4 all-time record against the Mountain Hawks. 

Contact sports editor Abigail Finney at abigail.finney@richmond.edu