University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
1-1
Virginia
1-1
Spiders Take Virginia to the Wire in 15-14 Loss
02/23/2017 | Women's Lacrosse
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond women's lacrosse team has come to play this season.
The Spiders hosted perennial lacrosse power Virginia on Wednesday night in their home opener, leading for the majority of the game and battling until the end, but ultimately fell to the Cavaliers, 15-14.
Virginia opened the scoring with a goal in the sixth minute of play, but the Spiders responded when sophomore Katie Sciandra scored two-consecutive free position goals to give Richmond a 2-1 lead.
Virginia scored once more, but yet again the Spiders responded, as reigning Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week Sam Geiersbach scored on an assist from junior Kim Egizi. Senior Natalia Chaney then scored on sophomore Marissa Brown's assist to give the Spiders a two-goal cushion with just under 20 minutes to play in the half.
The Cavaliers would not go away, scoring twice to tie the game, but Chaney scored again, this time from Egizi, before Sciandra logged her first hat trick as a Spider on her third free-position goal. Egizi then scored on an assist from sophomore Kathleen Berkery to make it 7-4.
Virginia's Kelly Reese made it a one-goal game again with two goals in the final five minutes of the half. Chaney scored her third of the game on an assist from Geiersbach, but the Cavaliers scored once more to send the Spiders into the break with an 8-7 lead.
Chaney opened up the second half scoring with a free-position goal less than two minutes in, but Virginia responded with two goals to tie the game with 15:36 to play.
The Spiders would not back down, as Geiersbach and Egizi both scored their second goals of the game to give the Spiders an 11-9 lead. The Cavaliers would score two goals of their own, before sophomore Aly Fries scored twice within a minute, with her second goal coming off an assist from junior Hope D'Orsi.
It wasn't until the final eight minutes of play that the Cavaliers took control. Sammy Mueller scored twice to tie the game, but Brown responded for the Spiders to make it 14-13 with just over five minutes to play. Mueller then scored twice more, with the game-winner coming with 12 seconds left in the game, with give Virginia a 15-14 road win.
The Cavaliers outshot the Spiders, 43-21, and held a 20-15 edge in ground balls, but Kim Egizi won seven draw controls for the second-straight game to help the Spiders win that battle, 16-15.
Freshman Megan Gianforte was stellar in goal, finishing the game with 16 saves, five ground balls and two turnovers.
The Spiders return to Robins Stadium next Wednesday, March 1, when they host Old Dominion. Opening draw is set for 5 p.m.
