University of New Hampshire Athletics
University of New Hampshire
3-4 (0-0AE)
University of Denver
4-2 (1-0MPSF)
Clancy Records 12 Saves; Women's Lax Comeback Falls Short, 8-6, at Denver
3/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
DENVER – Kate Clancy (Barrington, R.I.) matched her career high of 12 saves but the University of New Hampshire women's lacrosse team's comeback fell short in Sunday afternoon's 8-6 loss to the University of Denver at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium.
UNH, which entered the game on a two-game winning streak, is now 3-4 overall. DU improved to 4-2 with its second consecutive win.
Clancy, who made 12 saves the previous game against Drexel University (10-6 win March 7), recorded nine of her 12 saves in the first half and that included seven the last 18 minutes of the half, during which time Denver generated a 13-1 shot advantage. She also finished with a personal-best four ground balls the second consecutive game.
Laura McHoul (Westwood, Mass.; two goals, one assist) and Kayleigh Hinkle (Glenelg, Md.; one goal, one assist) led the Wildcats' offense. Hinkle, who has scored a goal every game this season, also tallied five ground balls and three draw controls. Hope Kissick (Cohasset, Mass.) was credited with four caused turnovers, two ground balls and two draw controls.
Denver's Hannah Hook had 11 saves and four ground balls. Rachael Dillon (4g) and Jill Remenapp (1g ,1a) finished with multiple points for the Pioneers.
UNH, which had surrendered seven consecutive goals to fall behind 7-3, began its comeback bid with Kissick's ground ball at 9:40 of the second half. Hook denied Krissy Schafer (Longmeadow, Mass.) at 8:03, but the 'Cats retained possession and McHoul scored an unassisted goal at 7:41 to trim the deficit to 7-4.
Carly Wooters (White Plains, N.Y.) gained control of the ensuing draw and New Hampshire continued the rally when Hinkle set up Laura Puccia (Fairport, N.Y.) for a goal that lifted the visitors within 7-5 at 6:51.
Kissick's caused turnover and ground ball gave the ball back to UNH with five minutes remaining and that led to a free position for Nicole Grote (Ellicott City, Md.), who had opened the game scoring on a free-position goal. This time, however, Hook made the save to keep the cushion at two goals.
Denver called time out at 4:44, but one minute later the Pioneers turned the ball over when Brooke McGillis (Berwyn, Pa.) corralled a ground ball. The Pios regained possession and Remenapp's unassisted goal extended the advantage to 8-5 at 2:46.
UNH, refusing to go away meekly, battled back within 8-6 on McHoul's second goal of the game at 1:28. The ensuing draw control went into Hinkle's crosse, but the 'Cats immediately lost possession. Denver cleared the ball into its attack zone but Kissick got the ball back for the Wildcats with another caused turnover.
New Hampshire advanced the ball the length of the field and set up a shot for McHoul that was stopped by Hook with 22 seconds to play. Ali Proehl scooped up the ground ball and that appeared to secure the win for Denver, but UNH regained possession on an Amy LeBel (Charlton, N.Y.) ground ball with 11 seconds left. Hinkle was denied by Hook moments later and the DU goalie also gathered the ground ball to end UNH's comeback bid.
The Wildcats recorded the second-half edge in shots (12-9), ground balls (13-11) and draw controls (6-4), but the Pioneers outscored their guests 6-3 in that frame to record the victory. DU finished with the advantage in shots (25-18) while New Hampshire had the edge in ground balls (30-25); draws were even at eight.
Hinkle corralled the opening draw control and UNH's extended possession, which included shots on goal by Schafer and Hinkle, ended with the Wildcats taking a 1-0 lead on Grote's eighth goal of the season at 26:08.
Hinkle gained control of the ensuing draw and Graves finished a feed from Marissa Gurello (Manorville, N.Y.) for her seventh goal of the year and a 2-0 advantage at 22:54.
Denver's Catlin Derry hit the post, McGillis gathered a ground ball and at the other end of the field, McHoul set up Hinkle's 14th goal of the season that gave the 'Cats a 3-0 lead at 18:57 and extended McHoul's point streak to 11 games.
DU called time out at 18:13 trailing by three goals with the visitors holding a 5-3 shot advantage. The Pioneers quickly seized momentum, however, on goals by Kiki Boone at 17:46 and Dillon at 16:03.
The Pios continued to pressure, but Clancy denied Boone at 14:48, then stopped both Rachael McKinnon and Monica Lucas in a 24-second span to keep the 'Cats in front, 3-2, at 12:00.
Clancy stopped Lucas' bid at 8:55 and Boone again at 7:28. New Hampshire called a timeout at that point, but Denver regained possession and Clancy made a save against Lucas at 6:04 to preserve UNH's one-goal lead.
The Wildcats ended a stretch of 10 consecutive shots by Denver spanning more than 11 minutes when Hinkle fired a shot on goal that was stopped by Hook. In the last 30 seconds of the first half, Clancy once again denied Boone as well as Remenapp on a free position to send New Hampshire into halftime with a 3-2 lead despite Denver's 16-6 shot advantage.
The Pioneers opened the second half with a flurry of goals – three goals in 2 minutes, 27 seconds – to transform a one-goal deficit into a 5-3 lead. Dillon sandwiched goals at 27:50 and 25:33 around Lucas' tally at 26:29.
UNH called time out and, four minutes later, is was Hook's turn to preserve a lead when she denied Graves and then McHoul's free-position shot sailed wide of the cage.
Denver extended the advantage to 6-3 on Katherine Fischer's goal at 18:08 and Dillon potted her fourth goal of the game 69 seconds later to give the home team a four-goal lead.
The Pios looked to continue their surge, but Clancy made a stop against Sarah Kasun at 16:23 to keep the margin at 7-3. The Wildcats began to claw back into the game by generating Gurello's scoring chance at 15:16, but she was turned away by Hook. DU cleared the ball and, after a three-minute possession, Clancy made her 12th save of the game when she stopped McKinnon's shot at 12:11.
The teams exchanged possessions, then Kissick's ground ball at 9:40 started the rally.
This was the inaugural meeting between the UNH and Denver women's lacrosse programs.
Puccia moved into the top 10 of UNH's career goals leaderboard with the 112th of her career. That puts her into a three-way tie at No. 9 with Kristin Blanchette and Liz Brickley.
New Hampshire returns to action March 17 (5 p.m. Eastern) at the University of Colorado. The Wildcats' next home game is the America East conference opener against Stony Brook University on March 21; game time at Cowell Stadium is 12 p.m.
