University of New Hampshire Athletics
University of New Hampshire
3-3
Drexel University
1-5
Clancy's Career-High 12 Saves Leads Women's Lax Past Drexel, 10-6
3/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
DURHAM, N.H. – Kate Clancy (Barrington, R.I.) recorded a career-high 12 saves to lift the University of New Hampshire women's lacrosse team to Sunday afternoon's 10-6 non-conference victory against Drexel University at Cowell Stadium.
UNH leveled its overall record at 3-3 by winning its second game in three days. Drexel lost its fourth consecutive game – all on the road – to fall to 1-5.
Clancy, whose previous career high was eight saves, recorded seven of her 12 saves in the second half. She was also credited with a game- and career-high four ground balls.
UNH's offense was led by Laura McHoul (Westwood, Mass.) and Nicole Grote (Ellicott City, Md.); McHoul scored four goals while Grote tallied a goal and two assists. Kayleigh Hinkle (Glenelg, Md.) and Rachael Nock (Severna Park, Md.) both scored two goals and Becca Graves (Rowley, Mass.) registered multiple points with a goal and an assist.
Drexel goalkeeper Teresha Bradley was credited with six saves and Lacey Aghazarian led the attack with two goals. Madeline DiBrino contributed four draw controls, three ground balls and two caused turnovers.
The Wildcats finished with the edge in both draw controls (11-7) and ground balls (17-16), the shots were even at 21, and Drexel committed one less turnover (15-16).
New Hampshire scored the first four goals of the game en route to a 6-1 halftime lead. McHoul struck first when she deposited a close-range shot under the crossbar at 24:40.
DiBrino gained possession on the ensuing draw control, but Clancy kept the visitors out of the scoring column with a save against Milan White. Nock corralled the ground ball and UNH advanced the ball into the attack zone, where Graves cut down the middle of the fan and fired a low shot into the goal for a 2-0 lead at 22:53.
UNH's Hope Kissick (Cohasset, Mass.) intercepted a pass near midfield at 21:11 and that led to the team's third goal at 20:48. The ball swung to Teagan Northrup (Longmeadow, Mass.) on the left wing and she slipped a pass low to Hinkle, who shot high into the cage.
Drexel called time out, but Kissick got the ensuing draw and the 'Cats turned that possession into a 4-0 lead at 18:35 when Grote, from the right wing, connected with McHoul curling from behind the net. McHoul continued to the top of the crease and shot into the open right side.
The Dragons trimmed the deficit to 4-1 on Aghazarian's free-position goal from the right wing at 15:27.
Devan Miller (Bristol, R.I.) won the ensuing battle for the draw control to give possession to the 'Cats. From the top-right of the fan, Graves found Grote down low and she ripped a shot into the upper-right corner for a 5-1 lead at 14:40.
Nock extended the advantage to 6-1 at 12:09 when she sliced through the left side of the fan and scored on a high shot.
Two minutes later, Drexel's Joelle Hartke was awarded a free position at the top of the fan. She drove toward the right post but was denied by Clancy. Hartke picked up the rebound at the doorstep and immediately shoveled a shot on net, but Clancy was in position to make the save.
UNH carried that 6-1 lead into halftime with a 13-7 shot advantage as well as the edge in draws (5-3) and ground balls (9-7).
DeBrino won the opening draw of the second half and that generated a shot by Aghazarian, but once again Clancy turned aside the scoring opportunity. Brooke McGillis (Berwyn, Pa.) scooped up the ground ball and at the other end of the field, Nock drove down the middle of the fan before rifling a shot into the cage for a 7-1 lead at 28:24.
The teams exchanged possessions and almost nine minutes elapsed before McHoul caught a pass on the top-left side, dodged a pair of defenders to get to the middle of the fan and score her third goal of the game to give the 'Cats their largest lead of the game, 8-1, at 19:36.
Nadia Pelham-Lacey responded with a goal 32 seconds later, however, at 19:04 and Aghazarian struck again at 18:40 to quickly lift the Dragons within 8-3. UNH quelled the momentum shift as Krissy Schafer (Longmeadow, Mass.) won the ensuing draw and Hinkle, at the top of the crease, converted Grote's pass from behind the net into a goal and 9-3 margin at 17:53.
With 15:19 remaining, Clancy kept Drexel at bay when she denied Milan White from point blank range. Grote's ground ball gave possession to the home team at 13:35 and moments later, McHoul curled around the net and placed a shot under the crossbar for a 10-3 lead at 13:21.
White's free-position goal at 8:45 trimmed the deficit to 10-4. UNH regained possession at 7:47 when Clancy secured a loose ball in the circle and the 'Cats held the ball for three minutes before Drexel got the ball back at 4:26. The teams exchanged turnovers and then Alissa Watts potted a free-position goal at 3:08 to narrow the gap to 10-5.
Carly Wooters (White Plains, N.Y.) won the ensuing draw for UNH, but the Wildcats turned the ball over with two minutes on the clock. Clancy stopped Watts' free-position shot at 1:52 and denied her again at 1:05, but Hartke caught the rebound on the left doorstep and one-timed a shot into the goal to pull the Dragons within 10-6 at 1:03.
UNH once again controlled the draw – this time by Hinkle – but the 'Cats also lost possession once again with 45 seconds to play. The defense kept Drexel on the perimeter of the attack zone to secure the win.
The Dragons tallied the second-half edge in shots (14-8) and ground balls (9-8).
New Hampshire returns to action March 15 (3 p.m. Eastern) at Denver and continues is road trip March 17 (5 p.m. Eastern) at Colorado. The Wildcats' next home game is March 21 (12 p.m.) for the America East conference opener against Stony Brook.
