The University of Richmond women’s lacrosse team fell 13-8 to Saint Joseph’s University, sliding into fourth in the conference with the Atlantic 10 Championships just on the horizon.
The Spiders came out of the gate strong, senior attacker Colleen Quinn winning the first draw control and setting Richmond up for a goal. Junior attacker Alexis Morton slung the ball to the back of the net, before the Spiders once again took the faceoff.
A green card on the Mountain Hawks gave Richmond a man-up opportunity, which it quickly took advantage of with another goal with 13 minutes on the clock. SJU got its chance to catch up a minute later, securing a goal from a free position shot.
Saint Joe’s continued on a hot streak, recording two more goals that tied the game. The next eight minutes were littered with turnovers and failed goal attempts on both sides. The last plays of the quarter were a foul on the Spiders and a failed free position shot and a turnover for the Mountain Hawks.
Richmond once again got the first goal of the quarter, but the slight lead didn’t hold for long. The Spiders turned the ball over, leading to a SJU goal that locked the game. Desperately looking for separation, UR tallied two goals, the Spiders leading 6-4.
Minutes later, the Mountain Hawks tallied back-to-back goals within mere seconds. A foul on the Spiders led to a free position shot for Saint Joe’s, which it took advantage of. SJU got the final word at the break, scoring a goal that put the Spiders behind by one.
The third quarter was a major success for SJU, holding Richmond goalless. Saint Joe’s opened the quarter with two missed shots and a yellow card. The Spiders picked up two fouls and two turnovers before the Mountain Hawks tallied their first goal of the half.
SJU called a timeout, then Richmond fouled before the Mountain Hawks scored another goal.
Another foul on the Spiders.
Expanding the lead to 9-6, Saint Joe’s responded with yet another point on the board. Richmond continued to play rough, picking up a green card and a yellow card before the buzzer sounded.
Swapping early goals, the Spiders desperately tried to close the score gap, but only managed to keep up with SJU rather than overtake it in the final quarter. Richmond tallied eight fouls and two yellow cards, but had little luck in goals.
SJU swept away any dreams of a UR victory, netting three more goals that put the Mountain Hawks up by six points. The Spiders snagged the last goal of the game, but it couldn’t stifle Saint Joe’s dominant performance.
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"Congrats to St. Joe's on a well played, well fought game,” Head Coach Anne Harrington said in a press release after the game. “We lost track of some important controllables this game and let some emotions get the best of us.”
Next up, the Spiders will host the A-10 Championship May 1 to 4 at the Robins Stadium. Richmond is set to face St. Bonaventure University, a team it beat 13-9 in the regular season.
"We will prepare for the week ahead as we have the rest of the season: one day at a time,” Harrington said. “I continue to believe in this team and our process. We will learn what we can from this game and move forward together as a stronger unit. We are excited to have another opportunity to play in Robins Stadium."
Contact sports editor Abigail Finney at abigail.finney@richmond.edu
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