Women’s Lacrosse: Terriers fall to Navy in Lax-A-Palooza Game
By Riley Lackey
Boston University Women’s Lacrosse (7-4, 2-2 PL) hosted the Naval Academy (8-4, 3-1 PL) in a tough 16-8 loss during Saturday afternoon’s Lax-A-Palooza at Nickerson Field.
Navy’s fast start gave them a three-goal lead early in the first quarter.
Sophomore midfielder Tessa Geddes was able to answer, getting BU its first goal of the game with an assist from senior attacker Hannah Tillier off a quick pass in front of the Midshipmen’s net. This was Geddes’ 17th goal this season.
Navy pulled away with the lead, scoring five unanswered goals in the rest of the first quarter, including freshman attacker Alyssa Chung’s second goal of the game, giving Navy an 8-1 lead after the first quarter.
Sophomore attacker Izabella Amonte, one of BU’s leading offensive players, was contained by the Navy defenders for the majority of the first quarter. But her effort started to pay off in the second.
Maggie DeFabio got her second goal of the game, giving Navy their 11th, spreading their lead to 10, and making the clock run.
Graduate Student Kendall Sims made a huge interception, getting it to Amonte for her second goal of the game and 24th this season, interrupting Navy’s eight-goal run.
That turnover shifted the momentum of the game, giving BU another goal, but Midshipman Lola Leone was able to get another goal for Navy with just under a minute until halftime. Navy closed out the half ahead 12-3.
“We had the looks from transition, which I think has been a really strong point of our game, so I think us just continuing to take an extra second and finish,” coach Lauren Morton said in the post-game interview about how the team can better capitalize on its opportunities.
BU began to work well and got more shooting chances in the third quarter. Amonte was able to get her third goal of the game and Leah Hodgins’ patience allowed her to score another one.
Navy brought in goalkeeper Emma Richardell to start the fourth quarter, and brought in more of their subs throughout the remainder of the game.
Emily Messinese scored Navy’s 16th goal of the game, earning her 200th career point.
Alyssa Daley dominated the draws, controlling 19, giving her the school record at the Naval Academy.
BU’s Hodgins, Amonte, and Avery Jones each got a goal to finish the game, but Navy ultimately came out on top.
Midshipmen sophomore goalkeeper Felicia Giglio has been a standout in net; she started all 19 games her freshman year. Throughout the game, Giglio displayed her goaltending prowess, stepping out of the crease and taking risks to make good saves. She totaled five saves and had only five goals against.
BU goalie Natalie Aiosa faced some difficult shots and played well, making 12 saves. She is second in the Patriot League in save percentage and leads in saves per game.
“I’ve got a lot of belief in this group, I’ve got a lot of confidence in them. I think we just have to be able to play together and play tough for a full 60 minutes,” Morton said.
The Terriers will take on Leigh University on Saturday, April 5, at 12 p.m. in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Streaming will be available on ESPN+