Spider Comeback Falls Short In OT Loss At George Mason

Friday, March 22

Fairfax, VA

4PM

University of Richmond

7-2, 0-1 A-10

George Mason

5-4, 1-0 A-10

Richmond

George Mason

Spider Comeback Falls Short In OT Loss At George Mason

03/22/2019 | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. – The University of Richmond women's lacrosse team mounted a furious second-half comeback, but the effort came up short as the Spiders fell in overtime at George Mason, 9-8, to start Atlantic 10 play.

Thunderstorms and hail in the area delayed the start of the game by nearly an hour and a half, and the Patriots capitalized in severely windy conditions, scoring the game's opening four goals for a 4-0 lead with just under 20 minutes to play in the half.

Marissa Brown got the Spiders on the board at the 19:28 mark off an assist from Sam Geiersbach, and Mia Castagnero cut the Mason lead in half just over 30 seconds later on an unassisted tally. The momentum didn't last long, as the Patriots scored the final two goals of the half to take a 6-2 lead into halftime.

George Mason extended its lead to 7-2 early in the second half before Castagnero tallied her second goal of the contest off an assist from Brown.

The Patriots scored again with 21:30 remaining to make it an 8-3 game, but a stellar effort by the Richmond defense, led by seniors Julie Ball and Tatiana Monds, held the hosts scoreless for the remainder of regulation.

A five-goal run by the Spiders was started by Geiersbach, who scores off an assist from Castagnero. Katie Sciandra scored her first of the day with 14:43 to cut the lead to three, and Geiersbach scored again following a caused turnover by Keegan Heher to make it a two-goal game.

Castagnero and Sciandra each scored again to tie the game with just over two minutes to play. The Spiders had an opportunity to win the game after a caused turnover by Madison Ostrick and a ground ball by Ball, but Brown's shot was saved by Mason's Melissa Semkiw to force overtime, the second in a row for the Spiders.

Mason was able to win the draw and score just over two minutes into the first overtime period for the win.

Megan Gianforte finished the day with seven saves in net for the Spiders as a part of a Richmond defensive unit that forced 24 Mason turnovers, including four shot clock violations. Geiersbach led the Spiders with five ground balls, while Ball collected three to go along with her team-high two caused turnovers.

The Spiders return to action on Sunday, March 24, when they host St. Bonaventure at Robins Stadium for the team's annual Friends of Jaclyn game. Game time is set for 12 p.m.