First weekend game ends in loss to Connecticut
By SARAH RYKOWSKI
Sports Writer
The women's laxers ended a rigorous week of road trips victorious, finishing 1-1 for the weekend. The Irish rise to 4-6, after a loss to Connecticut on Saturday and a win at Boston College on Sunday.
The win against Boston College ended a losing streak which stretched to six games with the defeat by Connecticut. Boston College dropped to 4-6 on the season. Seven different players scored for the Irish against the Eagles to bring the final score to 13-10 in favor of the Irish.
For the duration of the six game slide, the Irish averaged six goals per game, but they scored four goals in the first six minutes against the Eagles to take an early lead. Danielle Shearer contributed two while sophomore Alissa Moser and and freshman Anne Riley also scored.
Boston College refused to concede the match, evening the score with four straight goals. Then Irish attacker Angela Dixon countered with two of her own to make the score 6-4. Irish tri-captain and leading scorer Lael O'Shaughnessy, and midfielder Maura Doyle each scored to end the first half at 8-7.
Co-captain Kathryn Perrella and Moser kept the Irish lead at 12-9, matching the Eagles' two scores to open the second half. Boston College still wasn't ready to give up as the Eagles' leading scorer Emily Ryan scored her fourth goal of the game to bring the tally to 12-10 with 10 minutes remaining in the half.
The determined Irish defense countered the Eagles' attack, holding the home team scoreless for the remainder of the contest. Doyle had the last word for the visitors, scoring once more as the clock ticked down.
Perrella led the Irish in assists, totaling three, while O'Shaughnessy added two. Dixon and Doyle also assisted on goals for the Irish.
Notre Dame outshot Boston College 33-21. Irish goalie Tara Durkin finished the game with 12 saves, while Eagles' goalie Valerie Leuchs made 10.
In their 17-7 loss to the Connecticut Huskies, the Irish allowed a season-high 17 goals and were held scoreless for fifteen minutes in the first half and for the final 24 minutes in the second half.
Notre Dame held Connecticut to a 1-1 tie early in the game, a tie broken by four consecutive Huskies goals. Perrella and O'Shaughnessy answered with one each, only to have the Huskies go on their second scoring drive of the first half, further opening their lead on the Irish. Perrella scored again, along with Shearer to end the half down by five.
The Irish held the Huskies scoreless for the first fifteen minutes of the second half, but were only able to narrow Connecticut's lead by two, with goals from Perrella and defender Tina Fedarcyk.
The Irish offense was completely shut down by the Huskies for the final twenty-four minutes of the game, as Connecticut reeled off seven more goals to cement its victory.
Perella led her team with three goals, O'Shaughnessy followed with two, and Fedarcyk and Shearer each tallied one for the Irish. Although the Irish were unable to outscore the Huskies, they outshot Connecticut 31-28. Durkin stopped 3 shots for the Irish, while Connecticut freshman April Pollock made 17 saves to take the victory.
The freshmen continue to dominate the Irish offense.
Dixon, Riley, Shearer, and Kelly McCardell have combined to score 31 of the team's 83 goals, and 51 of the team's total of 121 points thus far this season.
The Irish travel to face the Duke Blue Devils on Thursday.
All Sports Stories for Monday, April 10, 2000
