Women's Lacrosse Falls In Hard Fought Battle Against Centre

Story By: Jenn Ryan, '19

Springfield, OH– Despite a hard-fought battle and scoring five goals in the second half, the Wittenberg Women's Lacrosse team fell to the Centre Colonels, 13-9, on a chilly Tuesday evening. Gabby Zysik's second half hattrick pulled the Tigers within three but it wasn't enough to give the Tigers their second straight home win to start the 2019 season.

Game Breakdown

It was a slow start to the action from at Edwards-Maurer field for the Red and White. Centre opened with four goals before Wittenberg was able to get on the board with a free position goal by Gretchen Burkey. Emily Wadds added a goal a little over a minute later, cutting the Centre lead in half at 4-2. Centre added two more goals before Rachel Bernard was able to add a goal with eleven minutes left in the half, putting the game at 6-3. Centre put up three more goals before Wittenberg added two goals, one by Wadds and the second from Josee Clayton. Centre put in one last goal with three minutes left in the half, giving Centre a 10-5 lead at the half.

The cold continued to torment both teams in the second half. A slower-paced second half started five minutes in with a goal by the Colonels, followed by a second Centre goal with 21 minutes left in the game. Bernard added a goal with 13 minutes remaining, followed closely by a Zysik free-position attempt goal to trim the Colonels' lead to 12-7. With 10 minutes remaining in the half, Zysik added her second goal of the half to keep pushing the Tigers toward a comeback. Seeming to find their stride, Zysik added the Tigers' ninth goal of the game, putting the Tigers within three of a tie game and giving her a hattrick. Clayton scored the last goal of the game with the Tigers falling to the Colonels, 10-13.

Player Highlights

Zysik had the Tigers' only hattrick of the game, scoring all three of her goals consecutively in the second half. Bernard, Clayton and Wadds added two goals apiece for the Tigers, with Bernard picked up nine groundballs. Joanna Stecz faced 27 shots, saving 10 standing strong for a full 60 minutes in the goal for the Tigers. 

Up Next

The Tigers will take on John Carroll Blue Streaks at John Carroll on Saturday, March 2^nd at 1:00 p.m. to kick off Spring Break for the Tigers' first of three away games of the year.