BALTIMORE – Despite correcting some first half troubles, the UMBC women's lacrosse team could not mount a second half push and fell to the Winthrop Eagles, 7-6, today at UMBC Stadium. Junior attacker Sam Nolan (Fallston, Md./Fallston) scored four goals for the Retrievers, and sophomores Carolyn Jamison (Westminster, Md./Westminster) and Laura Osborne (Chesapeake Beach, Md./Huntingtown) each scored once.

The Retrievers struggled to control draws in the first half, and as a result ended up playing a lot of defense. Winthrop only managed three goals in the first despite taking 13 shots and winning five of six draws.

Nolan scored twice in the first to keep the Retrievers within one of the visitors headed into halftime.

Winthrop came out of the locker room swinging and brought their lead to 5-3 with two goals in the first 5:08 of the second.

Not long after the Eagles' second goal of that run the Retrievers had two players sent off. Junior defender Rachel Katzenberger (Kingsville, Md./Eastern Technical) and Nolan were given yellow cards for pushing. Katzenberger was given a two-minute penalty, while Nolan was sent off for just one minute.

The home team was able kill off both penalties, but needed a big performance from junior goalkeeper Ashley Peacock (Crofton, Md./Elizabeth Seton/Louisville) who recorded six saves throughout the contest. Just before the Nolan penalty ended, Peacock found herself playing close defense outside of the crease to the left. The Eagles swung the ball behind the goal and to an open attacker on the right who had an open look on net. Peacock was just able to get back to the crease and extender her goalie stick just enough to block what was almost an empty net goal for Winthrop.

The Eagles found themselves down a defender on two occasions after UMBC's successful penalty kills. Winthrop was able to kill off the first one-minute man-down situation, but Nolan made them pay for the second. After Winthrop's sophomore goalkeeper Alaina Girani stopped a shot from junior defender Megan Milani (Glenelg, Md./Glenelg), Nolan chased the keeper behind her crease, stripped her of the ball and raced to the front of the goal for the dunk.

Nolan's fourth goal of the game put the teams even at 5-5, but the Eagles' Shannon Gallagher scored her fourth of the game to retake the lead before teammate Abigail Blevins stretched their lead to two goals.

Sophomore midfielder Laura Osborne scored her second goal of the season on a free-position attempt with 6:49 left in the game. UMBC played hard in the final minutes but only managed a single shot in the final stretch.

The Retrievers fall to 5-3 with the loss, and Winthrop improves to 9-2.

Up next, the Retrievers travel to Pittsburgh, Pa., to take on Duquesne. Game time is set for 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 26.