Lady’s Lacrosse losses a pair in conference

Zach Joachim
Contributing Writer

Hyatt stays hot, but Rams fall twice

Women’s lacrosse lost a pair of conference home matches over the past weekend to Saint Joseph’s University and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Saint Joe’s

The Lady Rams squared off against the Hawks on a rainy Friday afternoon at Cary Street Field.

Redshirt freshman midfielder Sky Hyatt recorded her second consecutive hat trick, but it wasn’t enough for the team as VCU fell by a score of 15-4.

The Black and Gold began the first half with the majority of possession, but were held goal-less by the Hawk’s impenetrable defense.

Freshman midfielder Mackenzie Galli almost put the Rams on the board four minutes into the game with a free-position shot that beat the keeper but, sadly, it skipped left of the goal.

The Hawks were able to push the pace on counter-attacking opportunities, thus dictating the tempo of the game while out-shooting VCU 36-18. Hawks junior attacker and leading scorer Nora McCallion scored the game’s first goal in the 26th minute.

SJU freshman Rebecca Lane found McCallion in front of goal from the back-line on a nifty dump-off pass for the first point on the board. The duo exhibited similarly strong chemistry all day, which gave the Rams’ defense fits — McCallion scored the game’s first four goals, three of which Lane assisted.

Hyatt put VCU on the board a mere 19 seconds into the second half by converting a free-position shot, followed by an unassisted score three minutes later.

Consecutive goals by freshman attacker Molly Barcikowski and Hyatt closed out the contest. Hyatt leads VCU in scoring this season with an impressive 37 goals and has been on fire recently with five hat tricks in six games.

UMass

Lacrosse looked to bounce back the following Sunday on Senior Day against 19th-ranked UMass.

VCU played at Cary Street Field for the last time this season, where the Rams succumbed to the Minutemen by a score of 18-3.

UMass took command of the match by establishing a 2-0 lead in the first three minutes of play.

VCU responded by cutting the lead in half in the 26th minute. Barcikowski threaded the needle on a pass to Blaire Langley in front of the net, which Langley converted despite heavy traffic to put VCU on the board.

The Minutemen were the Black and Gold’s first ranked opponent on the season and they did not disappoint. UMass responded to Langley’s goal with a long sequence of sustained possession and seven consecutive scores, ultimately out-shooting VCU 40-11.

Hyatt scored a pair of unassisted goals late in the first period, but the Minutemen took a commanding 11-3 lead into halftime.

UMASS barred down defensively in the second half to shutout Hyatt and the Rams, while putting another seven into the net themselves.

Sunday was VCU’s final home match of the year, and seniors Bonnie Corrigan and Zohra Allen were honored prior to the contest.

Women’s lacrosse will conclude its inaugural season in Fairfax on April 30 at 2 p.m. against George Mason University.