HIGH POINT, N.C. — High Point University women's lacrosse opened its season on home turf Saturday as the Panthers dropped a tough decision to Davidson College, 17-13.
Mena Loescher led HPU with five goals and four assists, while
Kay Rosselli had six draw controls and scored two goals.
Site: Vert Stadium
Score: High Point 13, Davidson 17
Records: High Point (0-1), Davidson (1-0)
Head Coach Lyndsey Boswell: "I was really pleased with the way that we started the game this afternoon. I feel like we were really locked in and in our zone in warm-ups and it showed in the first part of the first quarter. I feel like we took our foot off the pedal after that and allowed runs to happen throughout the first half, kind of taking momentum away from ourselves. But overall, I'm looking forward to the season with these girls.
"Credit to Davidson, they always make great adjustments. I think we shifted our focus and kind of relaxed a little bit. At different times, we focused on the wrong things and during those moments Davidson took advantage."
The Panthers came out firing, as sophomore attacker
Jordan Miles netted the first goal of the season — off an assist from Loescher — that began a six-goal first quarter.
Just seconds later,
Kay Rosselli followed suit with a goal as Loescher tallied her second assist. After distributing the first two assists, the graduate attacker got on the board herself. Not once or twice but three times in a row as Loescher recorded a first-quarter hat trick, with two of those being free-position shots.
"I'm so happy for Mena," Boswell said. "Nine points and just her vision — both shooting and distributing the ball — was so huge and she really needed a game like that. She dealt with some adversity after last season, and I think seeing her come out with confidence and locked into her zone, was really awesome."
The Wildcats cut into the Panthers' lead with four first-quarter goals as
Emma Genovese scored to make it 6-4 HPU after 15 minutes. The Panthers out-shot the Wildcats, 35-32, as HPU goalie
Taylor Suplee made seven saves and Davidson's Amanda Monahan had 11.
It was a very back-and-forth match in the second quarter. Davidson scored three quick goals to take the lead 7-6 before Miles responded with a dodge-and-score through the middle. The Wildcats responded to Miles' second goal, and then Rosselli netted her second to make it 8-all at halftime.
The two teams swapped leads in the third quarter as goals from
Grace Bruce (via none-other than Loescher), the Big South Conference Preseason Player of the Year Loescher and
Pia Cavallaro (via Rosselli) put the Panthers ahead with just under five minutes.
But the Wildcats grabbed the lead back as the third frame wrapped up and never surrendered it again. Loescher and Genovese scored fourth-quarter goals.
UP NEXT: The Panthers are back at home next Saturday, Feb. 18, to take on Mount St. Mary's at noon.
