Richmond uses second half rally to stun Bonnies :: Brown and White drop fourth one-goal decision of the season

April 4, 2008

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. - Richmond came from four down in the last 11 minutes and tallied the game-winning goal with just nine ticks on the clock to stun the St. Bonaventure women's lacrosse team, 10-9, on a rain-drenched McGraw-Jennings Field Friday afternoon.

The heartbreaking one-goal loss is the Brown and White's (0-3) third in the last four games as they fall to 1-8 on the season. The Spiders stay unbeaten at 3-0 in the Atlantic 10 and improve to 5-7 overall.

Despite the loss, the play of senior goalie Eboni Preston didn't go unnoticed. Preston turned away shot after shot, including four on free position attempts, and finished with 15 saves on the day. The New Windsor, Md. native has registered double-digit saves in eight of nine games this season.

Sophomore Patty Nessle led the offensive attack for the Bonnies with four points. All three goals of Nessle's second hat trick of the season came in the first half. Senior Brenna Houghton accounted for all three of the team's goal in the second half. Junior Stephanie Jordan tallied two scores on the day, while classmate Kimberly Ross dished out a pair of assists.

The opening 11 minutes of the game saw both teams trade goals, ending with a tally by Richmond's Allison Furstenburg at the 19:17 mark to give the visitors a 3-2 lead.

The rest of the opening period belonged to the Brown and White as they held the Spiders scoreless over the final 19 minutes while adding four goals for a 6-3 halftime lead. Freshman Christine Hanley started the scoring with her 14th tally of the season, stretching her goal scoring streak to nine games. Nessle followed with an unassisted goal and Jordan was next with a free position score. Nessle capped the 4-0 run with 2:39 left with her third score of the period.

Despite Richmond closed the gap to one, 6-5, in the early part of the second with back-to-back goals by Furstenburg and Anne Ryan.

After a timeout by head coach Christy Malone, St. Bonaventure regrouped and Houghton rattled off three consecutive goals to put the home team ahead, 9-5, with 13:42 left. Houghton was assisted on the first goal by Ross and on the third by Nessle.

Richmond's Mandy Friend made it 9-6 with 10:41, but the Bonnies did a nice job of running clock in their next two possessions. Unfortunately, for the Brown and White those possessions resulted in no goals as the Spiders pushed another goal across with 4:20 left on the clock, making it 9-7.

UR gained control of the ensuing draw control and turned it into another goal as Lexie Marrocco made it a one-goal game, 9-8, with 2:47 left.

St. Bonaventure then spent its final timeout of the game, but this time the result was different, as Friend struck again for the Spiders just nine seconds later with the game-tying goal.

The Bonnies gained control of the next possession and Ross fired a shot on net, but Richmond goalie Erica Marrocco turned it away. After a scramble behind the net, the loose ball was awarded to Richmond after a charged foul on the Bonnies.

Richmond quickly pushed the ball up the field and another foul on the Bonnies with 40 seconds left gave the visitors offense to set up. The result was the game-winning goal by Marrocco off a perfectly placed by Claire Cunniff with nine seconds left.

St. Bonaventure will return to McGraw-Jennings Field on Sunday for another A-10 tilt against George Washington. Draw time is scheduled for noon.