Connerty, Dunn Record Four Points Apiece in 15-12 Win vs. Columbia

Saturday, March 12

Durham, N.H.

11 AM

University of New Hampshire

4-3

Columbia

2-4

Columbia

New Hampshire

Photo by: Andrew Yourell

Connerty, Dunn Record Four Points Apiece in 15-12 Win vs. Columbia

3/12/2022 3:32:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

DURHAM, N.H. – Junior Liv Dunn (Newbury, Mass.) and freshman Allie Connerty (Norwell, Mass.) recorded four points apiece to lead the University of New Hampshire women's lacrosse team to Saturday afternoon's 15-12 victory against Columbia University at Wildcat Stadium.

Dunn finished with a season-high three goals and one assist while Connerty recorded a goal and personal bests of three assists and four points. Sophomore Mackenzie MacEachern (Bedford, N.H.) matched her career high of three goals; she also had a personal-best three caused turnovers, equaled her best of three ground balls, and had four draw controls.

Senior captain Delaney Pratt (Lafayette, Colo.; three goals) and sophomore Kelsey MacCallum (Franklin, Mass.; one goal, two assists) also had three points apiece. Lily Powell (Marcellus, N.Y.) recorded multiple points with two goals.

Senior goalkeeper Issy Torres (Elmhurst, Ill.) was credited with four saves and a career-high five ground balls.

Columbia was led offensively by Dani Falcone and Kayla Nitahara, both of whom scored four goals; Falcone also tallied an assist, five draw controls, two ground balls and two caused turnovers. Lions' goalie Ryan Schlageter made five saves and collected four ground balls.

UNH extended its winning streak to three games to improve to 4-3 overall. Columbia is now 2-4.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS | PHOTO GALLERY
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UNH returns to action March 16 (2 p.m.) vs. Bryant University at Wildcat Stadium.

FIRST QUARTER

UNH led 4-3 through 15 minutes.
Sydney Paoletti's unassisted goal gave Columbia a 1-0 lead at 8:47.
The Wildcats scored three goals in a 52-second span to take a 3-1 lead.
Connerty finished Dunn's feed to level the score, 1-1, at 4:20. MacEachers controlled the ensuing draw and Dunn scored 16 seconds later to give the 'Cats a 2-1 lead at 4:04.
MacEachern once again one the draw control and that led to Pratt's goal – set up by Connerty – at 3:28.
The Lions called a timeout, won the next draw and Kate Cunning scored at 2:46 to trim the deficit to 3-2.
Falcone's first goal of the game tied the score, 3-3, at 1:29.
Columbia was awarded a free position at 1:03, but junior Ava Schroeder (Niskayuna, N.Y.) caused a turnover and sophomore Kailee Woods (Rocky Point, N.Y.) corralled the ground ball.
At the other end of the field, MacCallum curled down the middle of the fan and fired a shot under the crossbar to put UNH back in front, 4-3, with 19 seconds left in the first quarter.
Columbia never tied the game thereafter.

SECOND QUARTER

New Hampshire outscored the Lions 7-3 in the second quarter – despite the visitor's 12-10 shot advantage – to take an 11-16 lead into halftime.
From the top of the fan, MacEachern stepped to the left and double-backed to advance down the middle and shot low into the net to extend UNH's lead to 5-3 at 13:46.
Falcone converted a free position into a goal to lift the Lions within 5-4 at 13:04.
The Wildcats responded with five consecutive goals to extend the advantage to 10-4.
Dunn's unassisted goal ignited the run at 10:20, then sophomore Olivia O'Connor (Hopkinton, Mass.) slipped a pass to senior Emily Curtis (Walpole, Mass.) in front for a goal and 7-4 lead at 8:35.
Dunn struck again for her third goal of the game and an 8-4 margin at 6:57.
Pratt caught a pass 20 yards from the goal and charged before placing a shot from five yards low into the cage to extend the cushion to 9-4 at 5:52.
From low on the right wing, Connerty found MacEachern in the middle of the fan and she scored to give the 'Cats a 10-4 lead at 5:25.
Nitahara's first goal of the game at 4:13 ended the run and made it 10-5.
Torres denied Lizzie Kaplan on a free-position shot at 3:16. The Wildcats advanced the ball to the other end of the field and senior Abby Cranney (Amherst, N.H.) converted MacCallum's pass into an 11-5 lead at 2:21.
Kate Cunning's goal closed the third-quarter scoring at 1:13.

THIRD QUARTER

Columbia outscored the 'Cats 4-2 in the third quarter to close within 13-10 through 45 minutes.
Nitahara and Falcone scored back-to-back goals 32 seconds apart to trim the deficit to 11-8 at 11:46.
New Hampshire called time out and Cranney controlled the draw control. From the top right of the fan, MacCallum curled to the top of the fan and found Pratt in the middle for a goal that gave UNH a 12-8 lead at 11:18.
Pratt controlled the ensuing drawn, and MacEachern's free-position goal pushed the margin back to five goals at 9:45.
Nitahara scored on a free position at 8:10 and Kate Kelly struck at 6:55 to lift the Lions within 13-10.

FOURTH QUARTER

Both teams scored a pair of fourth-quarter goals as UNH limited Columbia to four shots in the final 15 minutes.
Nitahara's fourth goal extended the Lions' run to three consecutive goals and trimmed the deficit to 13-11 at 10:41; the visitors had not been within two goals since 10:20 of the second quarter (6-4).
Schlageter stopped Conntery's initial close-range shot, but Powell collected the ground ball and shot into an open net to reestablish a three-goal lead, 14-11, at 9:58.
Cunning won the draw control, however, and set up Falcone's goal that brought Columbia within 14-12 at 9:08.
After a series of turnovers, Falcone fired a shot wide right at 3:39 and then Cunning's shot was saved by Torres at 2:33.
Still trailing by two goals, Columbia gained possession with 1:14 remaining. Sophomore Jesslyn Hounchell (Manchester, N.H.) caused a turnover at midfield, however, and Powell collected the ground ball.
After moving the ball around the perimeter, the 'Cats closed the scoring when Connerty set up Powell's goal with 23 seconds on the clock.

GAME NOTEBOOK

New Hampshire finished with the edge in ground balls (26-18) and turnovers (18-24).
Columbia had the advantage in shots (31-29) and draw controls (20-12).
UNH was 18-for-24 on clear attempts and scored on 1 of 4 free-position shots.
The Lions were 13 of 15 on clears and scored on 3 of 8 free-position shots.

UNH NOTEBOOK

Senior captain Meghan Doyle (Pittsford, N.Y.) finished with three ground balls and two caused turnovers.
Dunn extended her goal and point streaks to four games; she has tallied a goal and point in 6 of 7 games this season.
Dunn has a team-high 19 points; she is tied atop the assist leaderboard with eight and ranks second in goals (11).
MacCallum, MacEachern and Pratt all have five-game goal and point streaks.
Pratt has a team-high 13 goals.
Torres now leads the 'Cats with 16 ground balls.
Torres has a 2-2 record with a .450 save percentage and 10.69 GAA; she has played all seven games with five starts.

SERIES NOTEBOOK

UNH has a 3-0 lifetime record against Columbia.
Prior to Saturday, these teams had not met since the 2013 season, when UNH prevailed 12-11 at home.
The Wildcats won the inaugural meeting, 14-8, at Columbia in 2012.