LEXINGTON, Ky. - In its final game in Kentucky over Spring Break, the Carthage Firebirds women's lacrosse team fell in a tightly-contested non-conference matchup at Pat Deacon Stadium. Carthage's win streak was snapped at five games as the team will now regroup with a game against Illinois Institute of Technology looming.
- Final score: Transylvania 14, Carthage 12.
- Location: Pat Deacon Stadium - Lexington, Kentucky
- Records: Carthage 5-2, Transylvania 4-3
- Rachel Harris continued her strong play from the team's matchup with Centre on Wednesday, scoring three of the game's first four goals. The Firebirds led 3-1 midway through the opening period.
- The Pioneers answered Harris' offensive surge with consecutive goals to tie the game just seconds later. The two goals from Transy came within 19 seconds of one another.
- Harris scored her fourth goal of the game shortly into the second period, putting Carthage back ahead 4-3. After an answer from Transy to tie things back up, Kyleigh Higgins scored at the 4:29 mark of the period to reestablish Carthage's one-goal margin. The Firebirds would take a 5-4 lead into halftime.
- The home team quickly scored a pair of goals coming out of the locker room to seize the Firebirds' lead, as Transy led 6-5.
- A Goal from freshman Kyleigh Higgins at the 5:38 mark of the period evened the score at seven goals apiece.
- A 4-1 run from Transy to end the penultimate period generated a modicum of an advantage for the Pioneers, who led 11-8 after three periods of lacrosse.
- Transy's run stretched to 6-1 after a pair of goals in the fourth quarter furthered the gap between the two teams. Carthage's offense couldn't convert in the final period until the 4:05 mark when Piper LeFevre found the back of the net.
- Rachel Harris scored her fifth goal of the day just 30 seconds after LeFevre's conversion to bring Carthage back to within three. Higgins scored one minute later, and Shannon Heitschmidt found the back of the net courtesy of a Maddie Berni assist with just 28 ticks left on the clock.
- The Firebirds couldn't score the equalizer, while an insurance goal from Transylvania with mere seconds remaining sealed Carthage's fate. Transy walked away with an impressive home win, using a strong third quarter to snap Carthage's five-game winning streak.
- Carthage out-shot Transy by seven (42-35) and turned the ball over nine fewer times, but controlled six fewer draws than the Pioneers in the defeat.
- Rachel Harris scored five goals, leading both teams today. Her 15 shots and ten shots on goal also led both teams. Harris recorded a ground ball, a caused turnover, and four draw controls in the loss.
- Kyleigh Higgins scored a quartet of goals in Lexington today, establishing a new career high for goals in a single game. Higgins also led both teams with three caused turnovers.
- Goalkeeper Alessandra Almendarez recorded seven ground balls today to go along with 13 saves.
- Fifth-year senior Maddie Berni stuffed the stat sheet, assisting two goal scorers while recording three ground balls, three draw controls, and one caused turnover.
"Just ran out of time today," acknowledged head women's lacrosse coach
John Sung.
"Had a little bit of trouble with the draw controls. Once we got that figured out, it was a little bit later in the game - the girls went on a run. I'm really excited about the way the girls responded; I thought Rachel [Harris] did a really good job today kinda doing all of the little things well."
"We're all a little heartbroken, but we needed to be more disciplined. To finish Spring Break at 2-1 [including the 3/11 game against Calvin], I think it was overall a good trip. We're excited to get back home to Kenosha and get into our regular season schedule again."
- The Firebirds women's lacrosse team heads back to Kenosha for a single game against Illinois Institute of Technology on Wednesday, March 22 at 6 p.m. The contest against the Scarlet Hawks precludes a four-game road trip which will take the Firebirds through Aurora, Lake Forest, La Crosse, and Chicago.
