Connerty and Hawkes Score in Senior Day Loss to UMBC

Friday, March 21

Durham, N.H.

3 PM

University of New Hampshire

2-7, 0-2

UMBC

9-1, 2-0

UMBC

New Hampshire

Photo by: Stu Horne

3/21/2025 7:30:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

DURHAM, N.H. – Dale Meskill (Keller, Texas), Kate O'Rourke (Franklin, Mass.) and Rose Pavuk (York, Maine) recorded three points apiece but the University of New Hampshire women's lacrosse team was defeated by UMBC, 20-11, in Friday's Senior Day game at Wildcat Stadium.

Meskill scored with a career-high three goals while Pavuk finished with two goals and and an assist and O'Rourke had a goal and two assists.

Freshman goalkeeper Ellie Thomas (Needham, Mass.) made 12 saves, including five in the third quarter.

Senior captain Allie Connerty (Norwell, Mass.) and junior Julia Gronda (Pompton Plains, N.J.) both scored two goals and senior Abby Hawkes (Amherst, N.H.) had one.

UMBC was led offensively by Grace Bruce (six goals) and Emily Knapp (four goals, one assist). Isabella Fontana was credited with four saves.

UNH moves to 2-7 overall and 0-2 in America East, while UMBC is now 9-1, 2-0 AE.

UP NEXT

New Hampshire returns to action March 29 (1 p.m.) against Bryant University.
It is Alumnae Day and there will be a celebration of the 40^th anniversary of the NCAA national championship team.

FIRST QUARTER

UMBC scored four goals in a span of 73 seconds to quickly transform a scoreless game into a 4-0 lead at 11:24.
Meskill trimmed the deficit to 4-1 at 11:00 when she curled from behind the net around the right post, pivoted back and fired a shot inside the near post.
Bruce's goal at 5:07 reestablished a four-goal differential.
Pavuk, from the left side, slipped a pass into the middle for O'Rourke and she scored on a low shot to pull UNH within 5-2 at 3:35.
Meskill corralled a pass behind the net, curled out around the left post and deposited a shot inside the far post at 1:41 to lift the Wildcats within 5-3.
Tess Curtis scored with 45 seconds on the clock to give the visitors a 6-3 lead.

SECOND QUARTER

UMBC extended the margin to 8-3 on goals by Bruce at 11:41 and Knapp at 10:01.
From the top of the 12-meter, Makayla Keys (Fairport, N.Y.) sent a pass low to Connerty, who turned a fired a shot into the net to make it 8-4 at 8:51.
UMBC's Lauryn Warfield responded with a goal at 7:55.
On a free position from the right side, Meskill took one step and ripped a sidewinder inside the left post to lift the 'Cats within 9-5 at 4:46.
The Retrievers scored two more goals to take an 11-5 lead into halftime.

THIRD QUARTER

Katana Nelson opened the third-quarter scoring at 12:25 to push the margin to seven goals.
O'Rourke and Pavuk combined for a goal at 9:44, but this time is was O'Rourke from the top of the 12m setting up Pavuk in the middle of the fan. Pavuk's low shot hit Fontana and the right post before trickling across the goal line to make it 12-6.
Bruce struck again at 8:38.
On a free position from the top-right, Pavuk charged and fired a low shot into the net to trim the deficit to 13-7 at 8:00.
The Retrievers scored back-to-back goals to build a 15-7 lead at 5:33.
Hawkes scored her first goal of the season at 4:39 when she caught a pass low in front, turned and shot the ball inside the right post. O'Rourke, with the feed from the top of the 8m, was credited with the assist.

FOURTH QUARTER

UNH scored the first two goals of the fourth quarter to close the gap to 15-10.
From outside the 12m, Gronda beat a defender down the right side and placed a shot inside the far post at 13:28.
On a free position from the right side, Connerty scored on a low shot inside the left post at 11:55 to lift the Wildcats within five goals.
UMBC called time out at 6:53 and UNH was issued a yellow card three seconds later and Knapp scored a free-position goal to give the Retrievers a 16-10 lead at 6;48.
Warfield struck again 68 seconds later to push the margin to seven goals.
The visitors added goals at 3:37, 2:03 and 1:12 to build a double-digit advantage.
Gronda raced past a defender outside the 12m and dodged another at the 8m before scoring on a low shot from the middle of the fan to close the game scoring with 12 seconds on the clock.

UNH NOTEBOOK

UNH celebrated Senior Day with a pre-game ceremony that honored captains Hawkes and Connerty, as well as Maria Hagan (Downers Grove, Ill.) and Sydney Sventy (Lumberton, N.J.).
Connerty and Pavuk both extended their goal and point streaks to six games.
Keys extended her point streak to six games.
In addition to career highs of three goals and three points, Meskill corralled a personal-best three ground balls.
Gronda matched her career highs of two goals and two points. She also had a personal best of two caused turnovers.
O'Rourke recorded a career-high two assists and matched her high of three points.
Thomas recorded 12 saves for the third consecutive game and she has tallied 10+ saves in eight of nine games.
Thomas was credited with a career-high five ground balls.
Delaney True (Windham, N.H.) led the 'Cats with a career-high three caused turnovers.

GAME NOTEBOOK

UMBC finished with the edge in shots (44-22), shots on goal (28-10) and draw controls (24-10).
UNH had a 15-12 edge in ground balls.
The Wildcats were successful on 12 of 16 clear attempts in comparison to UMBC's 9-for-11.
UMBC committed 10 turnovers in comparison to UNH's 17.
UNH scored on 3 of 5 free-position shots and the Retrievers were 4-for-5.

SERIES NOTEBOOK