WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - Junior attack Deyscha Smith recorded a game-best four goals, but it proved to not be enough as the Mount Holyoke College lacrosse team shouldered a tough 13-9 loss at Eastern Connecticut State University on Saturday afternoon. With the victory, the Warriors improve to 5-5, while the Lyons are now 2-8 on the young season.
MHC opened the game's scoring as senior captain Leila Kouakou - who had five goals in Thursday's win at Salve Regina - scored at 26:15 for the early advantage. The Warriors struck back at the 17:11 mark on an Allison Wylie free position goal which proved to be the first of four straight tallies for Eastern Connecticut to take a 4-1 lead with 13:10 remaining in the opening half.
Smith pulled the Lyons to within two (4-2) with 8:10 on the clock and fired in another at the 4:12 mark to make it a 5-3 contest heading into halftime.
Mount Holyoke pulled things even in the second half of action as senior midfielder Kaitlin Braz converted a shot from junior captain Mazzie Meotti, followed by an unassisted tally from Smith at 25:48 to tie the contest at 5-5. A Warriors goal less than a minute later put Eastern Connecticut back up, but Smith countered with a free position tally for the 6-all tie.
The momentum proved short-lived for the Lyons as the Warrior saw Wylie notch another tally, followed by the second goal of the contest from Michelina Pinto with 14:11 to go and an 8-6 advantage. Meotti was able to mke it a one-goal (8-7) contest, but Eastern Connecticut went on a 4-0 run for a 12-7 lead.
MHC sophomore Julianna Rankin converted on the free position, while Kouakou converted a pass from Smith with 59 seconds remaining to close out the game's scoring.
The Warriors saw Katie Burke tally three goals with three assists, while Pinto had three scores and two helpers with four draw control wins. In goal, Jessica Purick moved to 5-5 with a 12-save effort.
In addition to Smith, Mount Holyoke saw Kouakou notch two goals with two draw controls. Meotti had a goal and an assist, while Braz posted a goal, a game-best five ground balls and two caused turnovers. Rankin also had a game-best five ground balls, while senior captain and defender Julia Lankin recorded a game-high eight draw controls with two caused turnovers and three ground balls. In goal, sophomore Mia Wysocki posted nine stops.
Overall, the Warriors held the edge in shots by a 32-29 margin, while the Lyons owned a 13-11 margin in draw controls and had a 28-18 clip in ground balls.
Mount Holyoke returns to action on Wednesday at 6pm when it hosts Emerson College in NEWMAC action on the Turf Field.
