KENOSHA, Wis. - The Saint Mary's lacrosse team shouldered an 18-6 setback at Carthage on Saturday afternoon.
The two sides battled evenly over the opening five minutes of action. Erin Dotson had a shot saved less than a minute into play. The defense halted the Carthage offense in transition on back-to-back possessions by the Firebirds. The second stop led to Lindsey Herdsman carrying the ball from restraining line to restraining line before a feed moments later by the Belles was just off the mark. The home side then broke into the scoring column with a goal with 10:24 on the clock. Carthage added another goal on their next offensive chance for a 2-0 lead. The Belles won the draw control after the host Firebirds extended their lead to 4-0. Valentina Rubio found a cutting Lindsey Herdsman in the critical scoring area, and Herdsman fired a shot from inside the eight-meter line but had the effort saved with 7:23 remaining on the clock. A scoring chance two minutes later at the Belles' offensive end was broken up, and the Firebirds responded at the other end with a goal with 3:33 on the clock for a 5-0 advantage. Carthage added another goal with under two minutes to play. A free position chance for Saint Mary's was unable to come to fruition, but the defense stood tall late in the period as the Belles trailed 6-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Mila Swiacki made an early save in the second quarter before a successful clear by the Belles. Julia Gorski earned a free position chance at the other end and buried her attempt from the right hash to get Saint Mary's on the scoreboard with 12:37 still to go. The Firebirds won the ensuing draw control and capitalized on the possession with a goal for a 7-1 lead. Carthage pushed their advantage to 10-1 as the Belles continued to work for offensive chances. Alyssa Grant came away with a draw control and fired a shot that was saved, and Erin Dotson had an attempt saved with eight minutes to go in the quarter. Julia Gorski had a turning shot just above the goal circle bounce just wide of the goal. Carthage came away with the ball after Gorski's shot and scored in transition to go up 11-1 with just over six minutes to go before halftime. Christiana Singler set up a chance in transition for the Belles with four minutes remaining and found a cutting Paige Lyons. Lyons drew a foul to earn a free position chance only to have the effort smothered at the goal line. Gorski had a shot saved a minute later, but the Firebirds added a late goal on a player-up chance to take a 12-1 lead at the halftime break.
The Belles opened the second half by forcing the Firebirds into a possession clock violation and nearly had Carthage have a second possession clock violation as Mila Swiacki made a last-second save. The Firebirds, however, used the extra 60-second clock to score and take a 13-1 lead four minutes into the quarter. Alyssa Grant had a tough shot saved on the next Saint Mary's possession before a re-defend by the Belles kept the ball in their offensive third, but Saint Mary's was unable to capitalize on the chance. Erin Dotson intercepted the clear attempt by the Firebirds' goalie and launched a shot from the restraining line that found the back of the wide open net to give the Belles a boost of energy midway through the quarter to make it 13-2. Carthage, however, responded with two goals down the stretch of the period for a 15-2 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
A strong defensive play by Erin Dotson led to a caused turnover and a ground ball as the Belles moved from defense to offense early in the fourth quarter. Alyssa Grant then fed a pass to a cutting Valentina Rubio, and Rubio buried the chance inside the critical scoring area to make it a 15-3 score. Grant nearly got the Belles right back on the scoreboard as her turning shot inside the eight-meter arc was saved as Saint Mary's continued to battle. Carthage made it a 17-3 game before the Belles got a goal back in transition. Valentina Rubio went end-to-end and carried the ball to the right side of the critical scoring area. The sophomore threaded a tight pass to Reese Bauer at the top of the goal circle, and Bauer scored on a tight angle from close range to make it a 17-4 game with under six minutes to play. Rubio then sent home a free position goal with two minutes remaining. Julia Gorski had a free position chance of her own blocked inside the critical scoring area in the final minute. The Belles kept the possession alive, and Rubio hit Alyssa Grant with a pass in the critical scoring area as Grant put away a goal in the waning moments of the game in the 18-6 final.
Carthage had a 16-8 advantage in draw controls in the contest. Both teams were credited with 19 ground balls, and Saint Mary's had 12 turnovers to the Firebirds' 11.
Valentina Rubio registered two goals, two assists, three draw controls, and two ground balls for the Belles. Alyssa Grant added a goal and an assist with two draw controls, three ground balls, and a caused turnover. Erin Dotson collected a goal and led the team with four ground balls and two caused turnovers. Reese Bauer and Julia Gorski had a goal each. Christiana Singler posted two ground balls and a draw control, and Lindsey Herdsman added three ground balls. Mila Swiacki made three saves in goal.
The Belles (2-1) return to action on Sunday, March 12 when they take on Whittier in California at 1:00 p.m. PDT.