The University of Redlands women's lacrosse team opened the 2015 season on Wednesday afternoon by battling it out with a solid opponent in Bates College (ME) at Farquhar Field. Despite a slow start, the Bulldogs out-played the Bobcats in the second half but ultimately fell by a score of 11-16.
The game began in back-and-forth fashion with both teams scoring goals, as freshman midfielder Lacey Bjorndal (Sherwood, OR) scored her first-ever goal in a Bulldog uniform.
But Bates managed to fire off an 8-0 run for a sizeable lead by the five-minute mark of the first half. By the end of the opening frame, the visitors owned a 10-3 advantage.
However, Redlands refused to go away in the second half and slowly chipped away at the deficit. Junior midfielder Stephanie Garrett (San Diego, CA) uncorked the Maroon and Gray's first netter of the period less than three minutes into the action.
After a 5-2 run by the Bobcats, the Bulldog defense settled down with freshman goalkeeper Quinn Egan (Greenwood Village, CO) patrolling the cage. On the other side of the field, Redlands found its offensive rhythm, as junior midfielder Ellen Holt (Happy Valley, OR) unleashed a laser into the back of the net with 11:36 remaining.
Moments later, Bjorndal regained possession for the Maroon and Gray with a quality stick check, which allowed sophomore attack player Dulce Moll (Mercer Island, WA) to take the ball to goal, cutting the deficit to seven at 8-15.
With 9:32 left on the clock, Redlands gained a scoring opportunity with a free-position shot but Garrett's attempt was blocked. Once again, Moll grabbed the loose ball, allowing the Redlands offense to reset. Freshman attack player McKenna Tychsen (Park City, UT) found Garrett for the Bulldogs' third-consecutive goal of the scoring spurt.
Although Bates scored again, Redlands remained relentless, with Moll scoring twice in the final 51 seconds.
Despite out-scoring the Bobcats, 8-6, in the second half, Redlands came up short of the comeback, falling by a score of 11-16.
Overall, the Bulldogs won the draw-control battle with a 16-to-13 margin, as Bjorndal corralled a game-high seven.
Moll and Garrett combined for nine goals for the Maroon and Gray.
Egan recorded three saves in nearly 40 minutes of work, while sophomore goalkeeper Gigja Hollyday (Aliso Viejo, CA) tallied four stops as the starter.
Bates' Moriah Greenstein and Emma Brinkman each notched a hat trick in the Bobcats' win.
Redlands (0-1) begins its Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) championship defense on Wednesday, February 25, when it travels to Occidental College for a 7 p.m. match against the Tigers.
