HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata women's lacrosse team lost a tight 14-12 match against Drew University on a rainy morning at Gibbel Stadium. The win pushes Drew above Juniata in the standings, with the teams now set to face off in the Landmark Conference Quarterfinals next week.
Grace Gibbs tallied four goals, an assist, five ground balls, five draw controls, and six caused turnovers, while Peyton Goodrich totaled four goals, an assist, six ground balls, five draw controls, and two caused turnovers. Kyndall Yeager amassed a goal and four assists, while Kelliann Drummond had two goals and an assist. Shannon Para added a goal and a ground ball, while Megan McConnell contributed three caused turnovers.
The Rangers struck first 52 seconds into the game. Two minutes later, Goodrich cut through the middle of the Ranger defense and fired the ball past the keeper to tie things at one. Eighteen seconds later, Drew had the lead back on a free position shot. Yeager found Goodrich and Drummond for goals to give Juniata their first lead of the day. The teams traded goals over a 30-second span, with Yeager finding Drummond to push JC ahead before the visitors tied things again. Juniata scored the final three goals of the quarter, with Goodrich striking for the third time, Drummond finding Para alone on the back post, and Gibbs scoring on a free position shot as JC led 7-4 after one.
Drew scored slightly over three minutes into the second before Goodrich found Gibbs to push the lead back to three. A pair of Ranger goals cut the lead down to three. Inside the final three minutes, Gibbs found Yeager for the final goal of the half as JC led 9-7.
The Rangers outscored the Eagles in the third 3-2, and a Gibbs goal with just under five minutes to go in the quarter gave Juniata the lead again, 11-10.
The visitors took the lead with a smidge under 11 to go in the game before Goodrich fired the Eagles even 30 seconds later. It was a tense eight minutes as neither team could find the back of the net. Gibbs hit the post with three and a half minutes remaining, and Drew went the other way. The Eagles regained possession momentarily, but the Rangers prevented JC from clearing the ball, drew a free position shot, and converted. JC was whistled for a violation on the ensuing draw, and Drew scored again. The Eagles couldn't find two goals in the final minute and thirty seconds, so Drew won.
Each team took 26 shots, and Drew had 19 draw controls to Juniata's 12.
The victory gives Drew the fourth seed and puts the Eagles at five, which means JC is off to Madison, New Jersey, for the Landmark Conference Quarterfinal.
Game time is set for 5:00 pm on Tuesday.
