BALTIMORE - The UMBC women's lacrosse team (6-7, 2-2 AEC) outscored No. 19 New Hampshire (8-4, 2-2 AEC) 5-2 in the second half, but it was not enough to overcome a 9-3 halftime deficit, as the Retrievers fell to their America East rival, 11-8, Saturday afternoon at UMBC Stadium.
The Wildcats scored the first five goals of the game, with the first three coming in a span of 1:06. The Retrievers finally cracked the scoreboard, when sophomore attack Erika Braerman (Fallston, Md./Fallston) converted a feed from senior attack Abbey Swift (Baltimore, Md./Towson) at the 14:28 mark.
The pair teamed up again 4:24 later to pull UMBC to within 5-2, but New Hampshire tallied the next four to take a 9-2 lead. UNH midfielder Susie Piotrkowski had a hand in all four goals in that stretch, scoring the first two and assisting on the others.
UMBC sophomore midfielder Amanda Pappas (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) converted a free-position shot with 44 seconds left in the first half to send the Retrievers into the locker room down, 9-3.
But the second half was a different story, as UMBC senior midfielder Kara Dorr (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) gave the Retrievers the momentum with a goal just 30 seconds into the period, and sophomore midfielder Ashley Stodter (Silver Spring, Md./Good Counsel) followed with a free-position goal just 1:17 later to pull the hosts to within four at 9-5.
UNH midfielder Michaela Hardy briefly interrupted UMBC's run with a free-position goal of her own at the 18:05 mark, but the Retrievers scored the next two and three of the final four goals of the game. However, Dorr's tally with 3:46 remaining, which made the score 11-8, was the last UMBC would get.
Pappas (2g, 1a) and Swift (1g, 2a) each posted three points, while Braerman and Dorr also scored twice for the Retrievers.
Piotrkowski led the Wildcats with six points on three goals and three assists, all coming in the first half. Attack Sarah Von Bargen also scored three times for New Hampshire.
UMBC junior goalie Kate Quick (Phoenix, Md./Maryvale Prep) made 13 saves in the net and was brilliant in the second half, stopping seven of nine shots on goal. UNH keeper Kate Gunts made four saves.
The Wildcats outshot the Retrievers, 29-17, and held a commanding 16-5 advantage on draw controls.
The Retrievers return to action on Wednesday, April 8, when they take on regional rival American at 4 p.m. in Washington, D.C.
