BELOIT, Wis. – The Beloit College women's lacrosse team delivered a thrilling performance Saturday afternoon at Strong Stadium, but ultimately fell just short in a heartbreaking 12-11 contest against conference rival Milwaukee School Of Engineering.
The game was a back-and-forth affair from the opening draw. MSOE (4-11, 4-4 NACC) struck first, but Johanna McNair (Fishers, Ind.) quickly answered to tie the score 1-1 just under three minutes into the contest. MSOE carried a slim 3-2 lead after the first quarter.
Beloit (7-5, 4-4 NACC) kept pace in the second quarter. Trailing 5-3, Maya DeGeorge (Grand Junction, Colo.) ignited the offense, scoring two free-position goals in just 51 seconds, followed by an unassisted goal with 1:33 left in the half to knot the score at 5-5. However, MSOE managed a goal just before halftime to take a 6-5 lead into the break.
The Buccaneers tied the game again early in the third when Menah Garcia (New Hope, Minn.) converted a man-up free-position shot, making it 6-6. MSOE then went on a four-goal run to build their largest lead at 10-7. DeGeorge stemmed the tide with another free-position goal late in the third, cutting the deficit to 10-8 heading into the final quarter.
MSOE extended the lead to 11-8 early in the fourth, but Beloit refused to quit. Cassidy Felix (Bellflower, Calif.) scored a crucial man-up goal on a free-position shot with 8:38 remaining. Just over four minutes later, McNair scored her second of the game, assisted by Felix, pulling Beloit within one at 11-10. The comeback culminated with 3:34 left when Degeorge buried her sixth goal, another free-position conversion, tying the score at 11-11 and sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, MSOE capitalized on a late man-up opportunity, with Chloe Ninmann scoring the game-winner with just 20 seconds left on the clock.
DeGeorge led all scorers with her six goals, showcasing her scoring prowess by converting 3 of Beloit's 6 successful free-position shots (on 9 attempts total for the team). McNair had a strong all-around game with two goals, one assist, and a game-high six draw controls. Felix contributed two goals, while Garcia added one.
Defensively, Willow Mashkuri (Middlesex, Vt.) scooped up a team-high six ground balls, while DeGeorge added eight ground balls and three caused turnovers. Daisy Kleinhoffer (Minooka, Ill.), McNair, and Felix each chipped in with two caused turnovers. Goalkeeper Kim Pilon (Birch Run, Mich.) played the majority of the minutes, registering seven saves.
Beloit outshot MSOE 32-25 and held a 30-24 advantage in ground balls, demonstrating significant effort across the field. The loss drops Beloit to 7-5 overall and levels their conference record at 4-4, matching MSOE's conference mark.
The Buccaneers will look to close out the regular season on a high note on Wednesday night. The Bucs will host the Edgewood College Eagles in a rematch of last season's NACC Tournament Semi-finals. Game time is set for 7 pm.
