1 | 2 | F | |
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Virginia Tech (5-4) | 5 | 7 | 12 |
Mount St. Mary's (1-6) | 1 | 4 | 5 |
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EMMITSBURG, Md. – A productive second half from the Virginia Tech lacrosse team helped the Hokies earn a 12-5 victory over the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers at Waldron Family Stadium Saturday afternoon. Freshman Megan Will and senior Morgan Widlake led the charge for Tech with three goals each, while Kaitlyn Larrimore led the Mount with three goals, as well.
Widlake started the day quickly for the Hokies as she put away a free position shot a minute and a half into the game.
Goalie Alex Gale denied three shots, two of which were free position attempts, nine minutes in, before allowing the Mount’s only goal of the half. Esther Rufolo was the lone goal-scorer for the Mountaineers.
Senior Jessica Nonn countered the goal after putting away a pass from freshman Meg Bartley less than a minute later to regain the lead.
Inside 10 minutes, Widlake struck again on a free position attempt to spark the Hokies. Junior Libby Rosebro followed the trend minutes later when she buried a pass from freshman Jack Boissonneault. Will capped the run off with a breakaway goal on a long relay from sophomore Kelly Naslonski.
Tech took a 5-1 lead into the break. It also carried the 16-5 shooting edge, much in part to the starting defensive unit of Christina Patten, Charlotte Marsh, Taylor Landry and Julie Wolfinger, who came out strong and really disrupted the Mount’s offense throughout the half. Turnovers were a problem for both teams as the squads combined for 18 in the first half.
The Hokies wasted no time in the second half, as this time it was junior Brooke Martin that started things off, rolling one into the cage on a pass from Nonn.
Rosebro was the next to strike, when she stuck with it, picking up a loose rebound and flicking it back into the goal. Rotanz added the finale to the opening run when she put away a pass from Bartley.
Although the Mountaineers added another goal with 17 minutes to play when Kaitlyn Larrimore struck, Tech responded 30 seconds later with Widlake’s third goal of the day.
Mount St. Mary’s strung together three straight goals late in the first half and forced a Tech timeout with 6:12 to play as it got to within four at 9-5, but Boissonneault responded to the regrouping, burying her first of the day from Nonn. Will added two more scores for the Hokies in the closing minutes to seal the victory.
Tech finished the day outshooting the Mountaineers 32-13, also owning a 14-5 draws advantage.
Gale made her ninth start of the year and finished the afternoon with three saves and allowing three goals. She was relieved in the second half by junior Alexis Carey. Carey played 11 minutes and made one save, allowing two goals. Bigid McTavish made the start in cage for the Mountaineers and made 14 stops on the day.
Tech will have a little rest this week and return to the field on Saturday, March 24 as it travels to Old Dominion for a 1 p.m. game.
For updates on Virginia Tech lacrosse, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_Lax).