In a first half that had early moments of promise for the UNH women’s lacrosse team, the second half ended on a much different note.
The Wildcats fell to 0-9 on a season that has yet to give UNH much to build off as they feel 13-10 to the Hofstra University Pride Tuesday afternoon at Wildcat Stadium.
“I think we really lost it in the middle of the first half,” head coach Sarah Albrecht said. “We were energized a little bit more in the second half, but it definitely wasn’t enough to be able to overcome the deficit.”
Down by one early in the half, UNH quickly responded with four consecutive goals themselves to put UNH up 4-1 with 19:42 to play.
Carly Wooters scored UNH’s first goal to tie the game at one apiece with a free possession goal, her 12th of the season, with 25:07 left in the frame.
Krissy Schafer would make her presence felt Tuesday with a pair of goals for UNH, one of which put the ‘Cats up 2-1. Marissa Gurello would score her ninth and tenth goals of the season in the first half to put UNH up 4-1.
“I think we fought hard,” Gurello said. “We just need to find it in ourselves to take that extra step, [stop] making silly mistakes playing the fall game instead of just winning.”
Those silly mistakes would plague the ‘Cats again following Gurello’s score.
The Pride would go on to score nine consecutive goals on UNH to go up 10-4 by halftime, which called for Albrecht to make vital changes in her team’s game plan heading into the second half down by six with all the momentum siding with Hofstra.
“I think defensively, we needed to be more aggressive,” Albrecht said. “We went more into zone pressure, but we needed to put the ball in the back of the net.”
UNH heard Albrecht’s message, and responded as such in the opening minutes of the second half and found itself outscoring Hofstra 4-1 to open the frame.
Schafer opened the second half for UNH with two quick goals, scoring her 21st goal of the season while aiding UNH in the comeback, down 10-6.
After a quick response from the Pride to go up 11-6, UNH’s Anna Vogt scored a crucial goal for the ‘Cats.
Vogt, a sophomore midfielder, beat Hofstra goalkeeper Maddie Fields for her first career goal as a Wildcat to cut the deficit, 11-7.
Moments later, Devon Croke netted another goal for the ‘Cats to put them down 11-8, all while having outscored Hofstra 5-1 since UNH’s first-half struggle.
But Hofstra’s Alyssa Parrella scored her third goal of the game in the meantime to regain her team’s three-goal lead, 12-8.
Wooters scrapped off Parrella’s goal for one of her own to make it 12-9 while scoring her second of the game and her 13th on the season.
Gurello raised UNH’s goal total to double digits making it 13-10. The score would remain to the final whistle and the ‘Cats remain winless.
“I think we just need to want it more,” Gurello said. “We just need to put two and two together and play the whole game up and down the field.”
