Wildcats Fall to UConn, 21-8

Sunday, February 23

Durham, N.H.

1 PM

University of New Hampshire

1-2

UConn

3-1

UCONN

New Hampshire

Photo by: Vincent Dejana

2/23/2020 6:35:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

DURHAM, N.H. – The University of Connecticut closed the first half on a 5-0 run to build a seven-goal halftime lead en route to Sunday afternoon's 21-8 victory against the University of New Hampshire at Tucker Field.

Four Wildcats recorded two points apiece. Abby Cranney (Amherst, N.H.) and Katie Taranto (Brewster, N.Y.) scored two goals apiece while both Elizabeth Blanding (Pittsford, N.Y.) and Julia Neyland (Boxborough, Mass.) finished with a goal and an assist.

UNH goalie Amanda Gottlieb (Canton, Conn.) made three saves and exited the game with the 'Cats trailing 6-2 (18:30 into the game); she was charged with the loss. Issy Torres (Elmhurst, Ill.) stopped 5 of 20 shots on goal the final 41:30.

UConn was led offensively by Lia LaPrise (3g, 3a), Sydney Watson (4g, 1a) and Stephanie Palmucci (3g, 2a). Grace Beshlian made five saves and allowed four goals in 30 minutes. Landyn White played the second half and was credited with four saves.

UNH is now 1-2. UConn improved to 3-1.

UP NEXT / NEXT HOME GAME

UNH returns to action Sunday, March 1 (12 p.m.) at home against Fairfield.

FIRST HALF

UConn quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Abby Vetsch at 29:18 and Watson at 28:45.
New Hampshire rallied to tie the score on goals 46 seconds apart. Taranto scored her first career goal at 28:05 and Neyland struck at 27:19.
The Huskies regained the lead at 23:57 on the first of four goals by Grace Coon and remained in front the rest of the way.
Watson netted back-to-back goals and Olivia Miles scored at 13:59 to give the visitors a 6-2 advantage.
With the shot clock winding down, Blanding cut down the middle of the fan and found Michele Smith (Wantagh, N.Y.) on the left doorstep to trim UNH's deficit to 6-3 at 10:33.
Emily Curtis (Walpole, Mass.) beat a defender down the left side, cut to the middle and fired a sidearm shot into the cage at 10:33 to lift the Wildcats within 6-4.
Sam McKenna stopped UNH's surge with a goal at 7:58, and the Huskies quickly pushed the margin to 9-4 with goals 25 seconds apart by Coon (6:11) and Miles (5:46).
LaPrise netted a player-up goal at 3:17 and then set up Coon's goal with 26 seconds on the clock to send UConn into halftime with an 11-4 advantage.

SECOND HALF

The Huskies extended the goal streak to six on Watson's unassisted tally at 28:09.
Taranto charged from the top-left of the fan to the right doorstep to score her second goal of the game and lift UNH within 12-5 at 25:57.
UConn scored the next three goals to build a double-digit lead, 15-5, at 21:43.
Cranney scored consecutive goals 59 seconds apart – at 16:38 and 15:39 – to reduce the deficit to 15-7.
The visitors reeled off five consecutive goals to build a 20-7 lead at 7:00.
Blanding corralled a loose ball in the middle of the fan and quickly fired a shot into the goal to advance the score to 20-8 at 4:10.
Kyra Place scored with 10 seconds remaining to create the final score.

UNH NOTEBOOK

Meghan Doyle (Pittsford, N.Y.) recorded a team-high four ground balls. She was also credited with a caused turnover.
Neyland finished with a team-high six draw controls.
Caroline Hernon (Hampton, N.H.) was credited with four draw controls, two ground balls and a caused turnover.
The team leaders in shots were Blanding (seven) and Neyland (six).
Taranto had tallied an assist each of the first two games of the year.
New Hampshire is 1-1 at home this year.
UNH has scored eight goals each of the past two games after netting 15 in the season opener.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

UConn recorded the advantage in shots (32-26) and shots on goal (29-17).
The Huskies also had the edge in ground balls (23-14), draw controls (17-14) and turnovers (12-18).
UConn scored on 5 of 9 free-position shots. UNH was 0-for-8.
UNH was 7-for-14 on clear attempts. UConn was 12 of 19.

SERIES HISTORY

UNH has a 7-10 lifetime record against UConn.
The Huskies have won three consecutive meetings in Durham, all at a different venue – 2016 at Cowell Stadium, 2018 at Bremner Field and 2020 at Tucker Field.
The Wildcats were 13-12 road victors last year.