PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- The Lake Erie women's lacrosse team battled Lees-McRae College on Friday afternoon, emerging victorious for the first time this season in an 18-17 thriller. Down by two scores with 2:30 remaining, the Storm scored twice in the span of 13 seconds to tie the game. With 56 seconds remaining, the Bobcats lined up for a free-position attempt, but Bethany Kirkwood made a massive save, giving LEC possession as the clock dwindled. Reese Friesen carried that momentum into her third goal of the game with 16 seconds remaining, sending the crowd into a frenzy with still precious moments left on the clock. Lees-McRae would win the draw control and instantly call a timeout, setting up nine seconds to try to force overtime. They made a great initial move to get separation toward the net, but threw an errant pass, sealing an unbelievable Storm win.
Game Recap
Both teams alternated goals in the first period, as Reese Friesen first got the Storm on the board on a man-down opportunity. Brooke McNeal would tie it at two-apiece later, and Gabriella Adie's score helped make it 3-3 after one.
The second period was all Bobcats, as they went up 10-6 by halftime. They scored three straight to open the period before Isabella Tudisco took a McNeal assist and scored just 13 seconds after a draw control, putting a halt to the momentum. Lindsey Sutter and Gabriella Adie each added goals later, keeping the Storm within reach, but the Bobcats were in a strong position at the break.
Out of halftime, freshman Claire Varvel not only netted her first collegiate goal, but scored back-to-back, providing a major lift. After a Bobcats goal, the trio of Friesen, Adie, and McNeal each found the back of the net, quickly erasing the deficit and tying the game at 11-apiece. Isabella Tudisco added another in the final minute of the period to make it 12-12 heading into the fourth.
Two quick goals by the visitors put Lake Erie back down, but then it was Lakelyn Joslin's turn, earning her first collegiate goal and sparking a celebration from her teammates. Freshman LeAnna Walters followed with a goal of her own, then Tudisco added another, and suddenly the Storm led 15-14 with 6:34 to go.
Over the next four minutes, however, Lees-McRae scored three straight goals, seemingly securing their fourth win of the year and putting LEC on the brink of 0-7. But it's March—and this is the month of madness.
The Storm responded with two goals in the span of 13 seconds, winning the draw control each time and immediately pushing downfield to capitalize, tying the game at 17-all. While the energy was building, it was far from over. With one minute remaining, Lake Erie went a woman-down and the Bobcats lined up for their ninth free-position attempt of the night. Bethany Kirkwood rose to the moment, making her sixth save of the game. That defensive stand sparked one final push as the shot clock turned off. Instead of playing passively, Lake Erie stayed aggressive, and with 16 seconds remaining, Reese Friesen fired home the go-ahead goal.
Friesen recorded the fourth hat trick of her career—one she'll remember—while the Storm held on through a tense final possession, as the Bobcats were unable to get another shot off.
Notables
Gabriella Adie scored four goals tonight, a team season-high.
Brooke McNeal dished out three assists, tying her for the team lead.
Lake Erie had one of its best days at the draw control, winning 18 of 37, including several key possessions that led directly to offense late.
Bethany Kirkwood was outstanding in goal, entering after halftime and recording six saves, including multiple clutch stops down the stretch.
Looking Ahead
Next up on the Storm schedule are the Tiffin Dragons. Sitting at 4-4 this season, Tiffin is riding a two-game winning streak after a 15-10 win over Point Park University and a 21-0 victory over Ursuline. In that game, the Dragons led 15-0 at halftime without allowing a single shot. Tiffin features four different 20+ goal scorers, each from a different class year.
