REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Women's Lacrosse team (3-10, 1-8 SCIAC) lost their Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) game against Occidental College 20-14 Wednesday evening at Farquhar Field. The Bulldogs trailed by nine goals at the break and pulled within six in the second half but were unable to complete the comeback attempt as the Tigers would come away with the season sweep.
The first half was a struggle for the Bulldogs offensively as they trailed 4-2 after the first 15 minutes and then 13-4 at the half. The first two goals of the game came courtesy of Cailin Walker (Portland, OR) and Jenna Bradford (Anaheim, CA) who scored :45 seconds apart in the first quarter that tied the game up at 2-2.
In the second Catie Ramicone (Countryside, IL) scored the first goal for Redlands at the 13:48 mark. Then after a 6-0 Tiger run, the final UR tally would come off a free position from Bradford with 2:37 left in the half.
After conceding eight of the final nine goals to end the half, the Bulldogs would come out and score the first two to open the third quarter. Bradford brought her total on the night to four as she got the Bulldogs within seven, 13-6.
Occidental was able to get two of the goals back over the next two plus minutes, but Emily Webster (Ladera Ranch, CA), Bradford, and Natalie Schumann (Murrieta, CA) helped the Bulldogs string together three unanswered giving them a 5-2 advantage in the period as they found themselves down by six, 15-9, with 5:35 still to play.
Over the final four minutes of the third the Tigers extended their lead to eight, 17-9 with another four tallies. Walker, though, snuck behind the Tiger defense with less than :10 seconds to play in the quarter as she was able to beat the goalkeeper one-on-one for a goal as time expired.
In the final 15 minutes the Maroon and Grey defensive unit was able to extend their run without allowing a goal to eight minutes and six seconds, but only an Emma Beaver (Bend, OR) shot, off a Walker assist, in the first :30 seconds found the back of the net as they were down six with less than ten minutes to play.
Over the final six minutes Beaver netted herself a hat trick as she scored twice, both off Walker assists, and Ramicone was able to score on a free position attempt as the Bulldogs would fall 20-14.
Bradford scored five times, a new career high, Beaver added her third hat trick of the season, Walker tied her career high with six points (two goals and four assists), while Ramicone scored multiple goals for the second time in her career.
Redlands posted 14 draw controls on the night that led to a number of scoring opportunities, they added 32 shots, 23 groundballs, was 14-for-19 on clear-attempts and was at a 50% clip on free-positions (5-for-10). In goal Alyssa Ashley (Vista, CA) and Nicole Hutten (Hinsdale, Ill.) split time with Ashley finishing with three saves in 24 minutes and Hutten adding another seven stops in 35 minutes of action.
After playing a pair of games on the road prior to this contest, the Bulldogs stay at home next Friday, April 21 when they host Whittier College on Senior Day beginning at 3:00pm.
