Blue Lacrosse Faces 14-10 Setback at Clark

WORCESTER, Mass. – Clark University scored four answered fourth quarter goals to pick up a 14-10 NEWMAC win over Wellesley College lacrosse on Saturday.

Grad student Elizabeth Liakos (Arlington, Mass.) earned six points (five goals, one assist) for the Cougars (5-3 Overall, 1-1 NEWMAC). Sophomore Elizabeth Cacciapaglia (Ridgefield, Conn.) had two goals, a trio of assists and won a game-high 12 draw controls. First year Kami LaBella (Watertown, Conn.) scored a hat-trick and caused four turnovers. Junior goalie Annie Battle (Bozeman, Mont.) stopped 10 shots for Clark.

Sophomore Finley Tipton (Coppell, Texas) led the scoring for the Blue (2-6 Overall, 0-2 NEWMAC) with four goals. Senior Willa McGough (Plainfield, N.H.) and first year Lillian Games (Wayne, Pa.) both scored a pair of goals and first year Mallory Kennison (Norway, Maine) had a goal and two assists. Junior Ryan Boone (Scotch Plains, N.J.) scooped up a game-high six ground balls. Sophomore Anna Blake Patrick (Portland, Ore.) registered 10 saves for Wellesley.

Junior Aubrey Conners (Devon, Pa.) scored for Clark to tie the game at 9-9 with 12:23 remaining in the fourth quarter. Liakos then gave the Cougars a brief lead. Tipton returned fire for the Blue, tying the score back at 10-10 with 8:48 left to play.

Clark's offense kicked into high gear in the final eight minutes of play. Liakos fired in an unassisted goal with 7:42 left. Cacciapaglia made it a two-score game three minutes later on a free position shot. Labella scored twice in the final two minutes to seal the 14-10 win for the Cougars.

In the first quarter, Wellesley opened the scoring with a free position goal from Kennison at the 11:53 mark. Clark answered back with a score from Liakos. 

The Blue picked up four more goals in the first quarter while the Cougars scored twice. Tipton and Games each had two goals for Wellesley. Senior Gabrielle Shell (Columbus, Ohio), Kennison and first year Katie McCabe (Jupiter, Fla.) each had an assist. Liakos and Conners found the back of the goal for Clark.

The Cougars got within one at 5-4 with a tally from Cacciapaglia three minutes into the second quarter. Junior Erin Lucas (Ludlow, Mass.) assisted on the play.

Lucas tied the game at 5-5 on a free position goal with five minutes left in the half. Wellesley struck back with a third goal of the game from Tipton two minutes later. Liakos completed a hat-trick to tie the contest at 6-6 with one second left in the half.

Clark ran the score up to 8-6 by the 4:25 mark of the third quarter. Wellesley rebounded with three goals in the later portion of the third quarter to take back a 9-8 lead. McGough scored two goals and Shell had one.

Clark won the shooting battle 34-24. The Cougars won 15 draw controls while the Blue won 12.   

Wellesley remains on the road next Saturday, March 30 for a 12:00 game at MIT. Clark hosts MIT on Wednesday. March 27 at 4:00 PM.