This is the second weekend of the Division I women’s lacrosse season, and teams in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division I Women’s Top 20 are dropping like flies. Another ranked team fell to an unranked squad on Saturday.
Here’s how it all went down.
A NASHVILLE NAIL-BITER
Leading by three goals with 6:22 remaining, Vanderbilt was mere minutes away from taking down No. 12 Notre Dame. But the battle-tested Irish didn’t fold, especially coming off an upset loss to Michigan.
Hannah Dorney and Jackie Wolak scored 58 seconds apart, putting Notre Dame down by one goal with 4:35 remaining. With the pressure on, Vanderbilt stood firm. Ellie Hilsabeck scored with 1:27 remaining for some breathing room, and Paige Gunning made a save with 26 seconds left to ensure Vanderbilt walked away with a 14-12 win.
Hilsabeck scored four goals, and Gabby Fornia had two goals and two assists. Gunning made 11 saves, helping her side overcome an 18-12 deficit on draws.
Notre Dame (1-2) jumped out to a 4-0 lead, and Vanderbilt (2-0) fought back to tie the score at 6. The Commodores took their first lead at 10-9 and didn’t relinquish it, even if Notre Dame kept it close.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Irish, who face Northwestern, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Jacksonville — all either ranked or considered for the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division I Women’s Top 20 — in their next five contests.
TRIO OF HAT TRICKS FUEL UNC OVER FLORIDA
Elizabeth Hillman, Jamie Ortega and Scottie Rose Growney each scored three times, and Taylor Moreno made eight saves as No. 2 North Carolina topped No. 9 Florida 15-11. It’s North Carolina’s 30th win in 31 games — the only loss coming to Boston College in May’s national semifinal.
Leading 7-6 after Danielle Pavinelli (six goals) scored for Florida, UNC took control of the game with a 5-0 run spanning the end of the second and beginning of the third quarters. Andie Aldave scored twice in the run, which gave UNC a 12-6 lead.
Ally Mastroianni put the Tar Heels up 15-8 with 5:29 to play before Florida scored the final three goals of the contest.
KELLY CATALYZES COMEBACK
No. 17 Rutgers couldn’t have asked for a better game from Saint Joseph’s transfer Stephanie Kelly on Saturday.
Kelly had three goals and two assists and caused a turnover with under 20 seconds remaining to seal a 17-16 comeback win over a gritty Georgetown team. The Hoyas led 15-12 with 12:43 remaining.
Georgetown (1-1) had a blistering first quarter, leading 7-2 after Annabelle Albert closed the period with three straight goals. Rutgers (3-0) had to repeatedly chip away, leaning on Kelly, Cassidy Spilis and Taralyn Naslonski for offense to overcome Georgetown’s 24-13 advantage on the draw circle.