RINDGE, N.H. – Senior Marissa Daly (Marshfield, Mass.) became the program's all-time leader in goals and junior Caitlin Villareal (Portsmouth, R.I.) registered a team-best four points, but the 12th-ranked Saint Anselm College women's lacrosse team was clipped by Franklin Pierce University, 12-11, at Sodexo Field on Tuesday afternoon.
The Hawks swoop to 4-4 on the season, including 3-3 in Northeast-10 play, while the Ravens soar to 5-3, 3-3 NE-10.
Daly, who became Saint Anselm's all-time leader in points in her last game out Saturday at Pace University, scored two goals to tie and then overtake Meghan Smith's mark of 203. Villareal recorded her four points on two goals and two assists.
Villareal helped stake the Hawks to a 1-0 lead just 1:02 in as she set up the game's first goal by freshman Emma Palumbo (Sudbury, Mass.). Nicole Dale knotted the game nearly two minutes later, but Daly's record-tying tally off an assist from junior Michelle Kudlate (Waltham, Mass.) and a free-position goal from senior Kaitlyn Stazinski (Pembroke, Mass.) put the Hawks in front, 3-1, with 22:48 remaining in the opening half.
Two straight Franklin Pierce goals, including Dale's second, tied the game before sophomore Rachel Henderson (Powell, Ohio) scored off a feed from freshman Meaghan Sheehy (Wilmot, N.H.) to give Saint Anselm a 4-3 edge at the 6:49 mark.
The Ravens tied the game again at 5:15, but unassisted tallies from junior Katie McKenna (Danvers, Mass.) and Sheehy gave the Hawks a two-goal cushion. Madeline Shopshire found the back of the cage with 1:28 left to close the first-half scoring with Franklin Pierce trailing, 6-5.
Franklin Pierce opened the second stanza with a four-goal outburst that included a pair of scores from Briana Sweeney and put the Ravens in front, 9-6, with 16:18 left. Shopshire answered goals from Villareal and McKenna to keep it a three-goal game.
Dale then offset a Stazinski free-position goal to keep the margin at three with 7:39 left, but Villareal set up Daly's record-breaking goal with 4:18 on the clock and then scored off a feed from fellow junior Erin Marshall (Woburn, Mass.) at 3:31 to pull the Hawks within 12-11.
Franklin Pierce won the ensuing draw control, but Villareal caused a huge turnover to give the Hawks one final shot. They would turn it over themselves, however, and the Ravens would hold on for the win.
Junior goalkeeper Jane Bunn (St. John's, Fla.) stopped 11 of the 21 shots she faced in the first 47:05 of the contest, while senior Allee Ramzi (Cumberland, R.I.) made one save over the final 12:55. Denise Hunt turned away four shots for the Ravens.
Franklin Pierce outshot Saint Anselm, 38-20, including 23-12 in the opening half. Draw controls were even at 12 apiece, while the Ravens forced 21 turnovers and gave it away just eight times themselves. The Hawks were 4-for-5 on free-position attempts, while the Ravens went 4-for-9.
The Hawks return to action Saturday, April 4 at 10 a.m. when they play host to fifth-ranked Le Moyne College at Gill Stadium in Manchester. Stay up-to-date with the latest news, including game previews and recaps, directly from the Saint Anselm College athletic department by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter @STAHawks.
