Anchorwomen lacrosse take home loss to Fitchburg State University, 15-6

Tim Yean

Sports Editor

A last-millisecond goal from third-year Taylor Lambert ended the game on a high note for the Rhode Island College women’s lacrosse team, but were overall unable to match Fitchburg State University as the Anchorwomen lost 15-6 to the Falcons to fall to 1-6 on the season Wednesday, April 1.

Lambert’s last-tick connection marked both a secured hat trick for the attacker and the only goal scored by the Anchorwomen in the second half. She also logged an assist in the loss.

Third-year goalkeeper Giana Franco started the first half of the game for RIC recording six saves. Second-year goalkeeper Abaigeal Estano started the second half and matched Franco’s six stops. 

A benchless roster has been the highlighting topic for the Anchorwomen this season, and that problem was strained even further in the rainy-day affair as third-year attacker Livia Sweeney was out due to injury. RIC was forced to put out just 11 players on the field (including the goalkeeper Franco), one short of the 12 players max allowed on the field in a women’s lacrosse game. 

The first quarter started competitively for the squads as they exchanged goals. Second-year midfielder Brie Macaruso swiped in a goal aided by a Lambert pass to knot the game two-all with under four minutes to go in the opening frame.

The Falcons would respond with a 5-1 run to take a commandeering 7-3 lead with about nine and a half minutes remaining in the first half. The lone interruption came from third-year midfielder Lily Nees on a free-position shot, rushing in and firing for the brief pause in the Fitchburg run.

Two more goals on the Anchorwomen’s end from Lambert and second-year defender Kaylee Vieira slashed the deficit to two, but the Falcons equalized RIC’s output and held a 9-5 lead at the half.

RIC’s player shortage exacerbated at halftime as Giana Franco was pulled from the game due to injury. Abaigeal Estano, playing on attack in the first half, was pulled into the net to fill Franco’s spot. The abrupt substitution meant that only nine Anchorwomen would be able to play the field in the second half.

The lack of reserves, translating to exhaustion, translated to a bust-open third quarter for the visitors. Fitchburg added on four more goals in the third quarter, and two more goals in the fourth allowed for running clock as the Falcons raised their lead to ten.

Nees swatted out the ball from her Fitchburg opponent and rushed east-to-west to the attacking side, lobbing to Lambert who clocked in a final, top-shelf goal to save the hosts from a second-half shutout. 

As of writing, RIC will take on a three-game road trip beginning with a Little East Conference bout at Vermont State University, Castleton, on Saturday, April 4. Further conference play at Eastern Connecticut State University and Plymouth State University on April 8 and 11 sums up their road opponents. They’re back home at Alumni Stadium on April 15 in a contest versus Western Connecticut State University.