“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall,” Confucius said many centuries ago. It pertains to the women’s lacrosse team so far this season.
The women’s lacrosse team split last week’s games as they head into this week with a 3-3 record. After a nail-biting loss to SUNY Geneseo in the final minutes of regulation, the Yellowjackets bounced back with a 15-11 victory over the SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons.
Strong plays from freshmen midfielders Abby Woodward and Lindsay Dakin helped the Yellowjackets bounce back from their tough loss.
The game against the Geneseo Blue Knights last Wednesday was one of runs that came down to the wire. Despite a narrow 6-5 lead going into the half, the Yellowjackets fell after being outscored 3-6 in the second half including the last two of the game.
Despite great goal play by freshman Leslie Dube, the Blue Knights scored the game-winner with 1:36 left in regulation. Although both teams were sloppy, committing over 20 turnovers each, the Blue Knights were able to take advantage of free position shots and were aggressive as they were plus three in the shots taken category.
Junior midfielder Alanna Tievsky led the Yellowjackets with three goals and two assists, but it wasn’t enough to beat Geneseo as they fell 9-11.
Looking for revenge, UR entered last Saturday’s game determined not to lose two in a row. On a cold and windy April Fool’s Day, the Yellowjackets came out swinging against the Red Dragons, taking a dominating 8-3 lead in the first 20 minutes of the first half.
But Oneonta made a comeback coming out of a timeout and outscored the Yellowjackets 4-1 over the next four minutes. UR ended the half with a goal by junior attacker Christina Montano to retrieve some momentum going into the break.
The Yellowjackets came out swinging in the second half with freshman midfielder Erica Gelb scoring only 36 seconds into the half.
The Red Dragons were able to pull within two with 15 minutes left in the half off a couple of goals by Oneonta senior midfielder Jessica Garabedian, but the Yellowjackets ended the half on a 3-1 run to cap off their third victory.
When asked if she was okay after taking the shot to the head, Woodward responded with toughness. “It’s all part of the game,” she said.
The Yellowjackets play Skidmore College and then Union College this week as they finish up their four-game home stand.
Wang can be reached at bwang@campustimes.org.
