HENNIKER, N.H. – The New England College women's lacrosse team lost 12-7 against visiting Colby-Sawyer College in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action on Tuesday evening at Don Melander Field in Henniker, New Hampshire.
THE BASICS
Score: Colby-Sawyer 12, New England College 7
Records: Pilgrims 3-3, 1-2 GNAC| Chargers 6-2, 2-1 GNAC
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Down 1-0 with 10:52 remaining in the first quarter, NEC sophomore midfielder Mackenzie McDonald (Boscawen, N.H.) capitalized on a free position shot to score her twelfth goal of the season, tying the game up.
- Trailing 8-1 with 3:35 to go in the second, NEC senior attacker Nathalie Antigua (North Brunswick, N.J.) took over with back-to-back goals to close out the opening half, the first off of an assist from freshman midfielder Alexis Hornsby (Atkinson, N.H.) and the second unassisted, giving her a team-leading 17 goals on the season. The teams went into halftime with the Chargers leading 8-3.
- Down 9-3 with 4:57 left in the third quarter, NEC sophomore attacker Meadow Gilchrist (Stamford, Conn.) took it in herself for her ninth goal of the season, cutting the lead to five. Then with 1:13 remaining in the third, McDonald would find the back of the net for her second goal of the game, pulling the 'Grims to within four entering the final quarter.
- With 12:44 to go in the game, NEC graduate midfielder Cassie Kelly (Alexandria, Minn.) found Antigua in front of the CSC net and the fourth-year attacker finished to give herself a hat trick and cutting the lead to three.
- Later down 10-6, Gilchrist found NEC senior attacker Jacqueline Nee (Manchester, N.H.) for her first goal of the game and eighth of the season, cutting the lead back to three. That was as close as the Pilgrims would get, however, as CSC scored two more goals in the closing minutes, snapping NEC's three-game winning streak.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- NEC senior goalkeeper Carleigh Knotts (Dover, Del.) tallied nine saves on the night for the Pilgrims. At press time, Knotts ranked first in the GNAC in saves per game.
- CSC junior goalkeeper AJ Paton (Exeter, N.H.) finished with seven stops for the Chargers.
- Kelly, last week's GNAC Player of the Week who entered the day ranked first in the nation in ground balls and caused turnovers per game, tallied seven CTs with six ground balls on the evening.
- CSC first-year attacker Rose Finlayson (Hopkinton, N.H.) led the Chargers with four goals while junior midfielder Soph Kuhlthau (Cheshire, Conn.) posted three with five ground balls. Sophomore midfielder Cecilia Ponzini (Windham, N.H.) and first-year attacker Andrea Smith (Gray, Maine) each added a pair of goals.
UP NEXT
- NEC is back on the field on Thursday when they travel down Highway Nine to face the Owls of Keene State College in a 6:30 p.m. game.
- Colby-Sawyer plays their next game at Anna Maria College on Saturday at 12:00 p.m.
