For Immediate Release March 17, 1999
Maroons Drop First of the Season
Wernert Sisters Combine For Six Goals
SALEM, Va.--The Roanoke College women’s lacrosse team lost its first game of the season today, 8-7, to the Mary Washington Eagles. The Maroons fall to 1-1 on the year, while Mary Washington goes to a perfect 3-0. Roanoke entered the game ranked 13th in the nation, while MWC was 18th in the latest national poll. The teams played to a scoreless tie in the first 10 minutes of the first half, a streak that was snapped when Roanoke’s Lindsay Wernert (Greenwich, CT/Greenwich) beat the Mary Washington goaltender to put RC up, 1-0. However, off of the ensuing draw, the Eagles took control of the ball and tied the score just 30 seconds after Wernert had staked the Maroons to the 1-0 advantage. Mary Washington scored another goal two minutes later, but Lindsay Wernert scored her second of the game to knot the score at two. The Eagles again responded with two consecutive goals and thought they would be heading into the intermission with a 4-2 lead. The Maroons, however, had other plans. With just six seconds left in the half, Lindsay Wernert found a cutting Leslie Hunt (Baltimore, MD/Towson), who then proceeded to score her first goal of the year to cut the lead to just one.
The opening half of the second frame was again played to a scoreless draw, and once again Lindsay Wernert broke the drought. The Maroons defense kept Mary Washington off of the scoreboard for almost the first 20 minutes of the second half, but in a four minute span starting with 10:25 on the clock, the Eagles scored four times to grab an 8-4 lead.
It appeared that RC was going to suffer its first loss of the season, but with 6:24 left on the clock, sophomore Kylie Wernert (Greenwich, CT) scored the first of her three goals to begin a Roanoke comeback charge. Just one minute and 20 seconds after her first goal, Wernert, who had started the contest on the backline, scored again to draw the Maroons to within 8-6. A Roanoke fastbreak resulted in Wernert’s third goal of the game, a goal that drew Roanoke to within 8-7. With under a minute to go, Roanoke had several chances to tie the score, but their shots were either saved or sailed wide, and they suffered their first loss of the year.
The Maroons return to action on Friday as the Tigers of Colorado College visit Alumni Field. The game is slated for a 4:00 start.