AKRON, Ohio — The St. Bonaventure women's lacrosse team dropped their season opener at Akron on Wednesday afternoon despite a fourth quarter rally. Sophomore
Brooke Piper's career-high five goals weren't enough for the Bonnies to score a win in the lid-lifter.
The Bonnies couldn't overcome an early deficit despite a fourth-quarter surge.
Senior
Callie Kessler netted the first Bona goal of the season and the first of her career to get the offense started with 8:07 left in the first after Akron had tallied the opening three scores.
Piper struck for the Bonnies' second goal, taking the ball from the draw to the back of the net with just over two minutes left in the first to make it 4-2 Zips.
In the second quarter, Akron (1-2) got its lead up to 8-3 before the Bonnies started to rally prior to the halftime break. Piper scored her second goal with 1:28 remaining before senior
Kassi Hogan cut the lead to three with 38 seconds left in the half.
Freshman
Katelyn Hicks entered the game for the Bonnies for the final 4:45 of the second quarter and played the entire third. Grad student
Ashley Herrick, who made her 40
th career start in the cage for the Bonnies, re-entered at the start of the fourth.
The Zips ended the Bonnies hopes of building momentum coming out of the break, scoring two quick goals.
Piper completed her hat trick two and a half minutes into the third quarter on a free position shot. She then picked up the assist on
Jessica Notaro's goal at 7:31, making it 12-7 Zips.
Preseason All-Conference Team selection
Fiona McGovern netted her first of the year for Bona as time winded down in the third quarter and the Zips led 14-8.
Another Bonnies rally in the fourth saw the Brown and White outscore the Zips 4-1 in the last quarter.
Notaro scored her second of the day on the helper from senior
Abby Hiltz to start the four-goal fourth quarter for the Brown and White. Piper tallied her fourth and fifth scores on the day with one from sophomore
Grace Hollenbeck in the middle.
The Bonnies home opener is set for Feb. 21 as they host Bucknell at the Marra Athletics Complex.
BY THE NUMBERS
- St. Bonaventure out-shot Arkon 33-27 while landing 23 shots on goal.
- The Zips had the edge at the draw circle leading 16-15. Megan Schillinger recorded a team-high seven draw controls for the Bonnies.
- Akron's Hannah Sanders recorded 11 saves to the Bonnies' six.