Bradford, PA – The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford women's lacrosse team braved a downpour at home on Wednesday evening as it hosted the Wilson College Phoenix. The Panthers dropped the tightly officiated game that saw the teams called for nearly 30 penalties by a score of 6-4.
The game got off to a slow start as 7 cards slowed both teams' momentum. The visitors were able to muster three early shots, but Lily Thuman was able to keep them off the board.
Things did not change as the game moved into the second quarter, as the game remained scoreless until there was 3:45 left in the half. Thuman made four more saves in the stretch, while the Panthers saw two shots stopped. Pitt-Bradford was able to capitalize offensively first. Haley Carlo slipped a low shot past the goalie's left side after a quick overhead pass from Aryanna Hatch to give the Panthers the first lead. The Panthers nearly made it to halftime with the lead, but a late foul and a free position attempt saw the Phoenix tie the game with 22 seconds left in the quarter.
The Panthers started the half with two players in the box, and they paid for it, as Wilson needed just 15 seconds to take the lead. They added a third with a Panther in the penalty box two minutes later. With 10:46 left in the third, Aryanna Hatch cut the lead to one. She wove through the defense in transition and bounced a shot into the goal. The weather continued to affect the contest as both teams were losing their footing and being sent to the penalty box. With 5 mintues left in the quarter, Wilson added two more goals just 41 seconds apart.
In the 4th, the Panthers made a final push to catch the Phoenix. They saw two free-position shots saved before Addison Molampy was able to slalom through the defense and score an unassisted goal. 5 minutes later, she cut the lead to one with another solo goal. With a one-goal lead and minutes remaining, Wilson worked the clock to limit possessions for Pitt-Bradford. With 46 seconds left, they shot toward the goal, which was saved by Thuman. Thuman looked to start a counterattack to tie the game, but her pass was knocked down, and a Wilson attacker picked it up and shot into the open goal, putting the game away.
Addison Molampy led the Panthers with 2 goals on 4 shots and 3 ground balls. Aryanna Hatch and Haley Carlo each scored 1 goal during the contest and tallied 2 draw controls each. Lily Thuman was credited with 12 saves in the loss.
This defeat moves the Panthers' record to 6-5. They will open up conference play on Friday, when they travel to Pittsburgh to take on La Roche. The opening draw is scheduled for 4:00 PM.
