The University of Redlands women's lacrosse team squared off against the Pomona-Pitzer Colleges Sagehens in Wednesday's Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) showdown on Farquhar Field. In a defensive battle that included only four goals in the second stanza, Redlands came up short by the score of 5-7.
After pulling in the initial draw control, senior midfielder Stephanie Garrett (San Diego, CA) put the Bulldogs on the board less than two minutes into the contest.
However, the Sagehens answered back by converting a free-position shot just moments later.
The teams proceeded to trade goals throughout the remainder of the half, with neither squad gaining more than a one-score lead. Garrett fired off the Bulldogs' second netter after receiving a perfectly-placed pass from junior attack player Dulce Moll (Mercer Island, WA). This successful possession began when freshman attack player Summer Stafford (Littleton, CO) caused the Sagehens to turn over the ball.
After Pomona-Pitzer evened the score, Moll found the back of the net for Redlands' 3-2 advantage with 11:22 to go in the period. Seven minutes later, Moll capped off the Maroon and Gray's first-half scoring with another goal.
Sophomore goalkeeper Quinn Egan (Greenwood Village, CO) kept things knotted with a big save late in the period, allowing the teams to enter the halftime break with a score of 4-4.
Both teams stepped up their defensive efforts while holding each other scoreless for nearly 10 minutes to start the second stanza.
After Pomona-Pitzer found the back of the net, Redlands evened the tally with a goal by freshman midfielder Hanna Morford (West Linn, OR) at the 18:31-mark.
The Sagehens managed to fire off back-to-back netters to take the lead at 7-5. Their patient approach to offense and persistent defense limited the Bulldogs' opportunities in the final 10 minutes, leading to the two-score loss.
Quinn made six stops in a complete-game effort between the pipes.
The Bulldogs recorded six draw controls, with Morford corralling two. Garrett and senior defender Jessica Jackson (Poway, CA) each recorded three ground balls.
Redlands (2-2, 2-2 SCIAC) heads to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges on Saturday, March 5, for a 1 p.m. showdown against the Athenas.