April 29, 2017
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt lacrosse team returns home this week and look to close out the season on a high note. The Commodores host Marquette this Sunday at the Vanderbilt Lacrosse Complex with the game slated for a 1 pm start. The Dores will look to finish the season off with a win, which would tie for the most wins in the past five seasons.
Last time out, the Commodores traveled to Cincinnati and looked to stop the three game skid they were in. The Dores started slow in the first half and faced a 6-3 deficit at halftime but they used a second half surge to bring them back.
Cincinnati scored the first goal of the second half but the Dores answered with a 4-0 run of their own and kept the Bearcats scoreless for 19 minutes of game time.
MacKenzie Lange started the run off just 17 seconds after the Bearcats scored their first goal of the second half. Then Melanie Becker put a free position opportunity in the back of the cage to bring the deficit down to 7-5.
Becker would score again two minutes later to make it a one-goal game at 7-6 with 20 minutes remaining in the game. Emily Mathewson would net the equalizer for the Commodores on the free position shot to tie the game at seven with 15:45 left.
Cincinnati would break through the Commodores defense at the 8:47 mark to take the lead but Caroline Peters would answer less than two minutes later to tie the score at eight.
The Bearcats would have an answer for Peters’ goal when Monica Borzillo scored her third goal of the game with 1:27 remaining and looked to seal the win for Cincinnati. Julie Blaze would have other ideas as she scored off the free position shot with 25 seconds remaining to tie the game at nine.
The game looked destined for overtime but the Bearcats took advantage of a late foul call on the Commodores. Amanda Donovan would score off the assist from Katie Stegmann with three seconds remaining to claim the 10-9 win.
On the season, the Commodores have seven players with 10 or more goals with Julie Blaze leading the way with 31. Blaze looks to be the first sophomore to lead the Commodores in goals since April Tellam in 1999 when she led the team with 42 goals on the year.
Jill Doherty leads the team in assists with 22 and is two shy of breaking her career high that she set during her sophomore campaign. Doherty looks to be the first in the program’s history to lead the team in assists for the three straight seasons. Doherty also holds the team lead in draw controls (66), points (49), and ground balls (27).
Marquette enters Sunday’s game with a 5-11 record on the year and a 3-5 record in conference play. They are coming off a 19-2 win over Butler on senior night last Saturday. The Golden Eagles and Commodores have split the all-time series 1-1 since the Dores have entered the BIG EAST. Last season, Marquette won at home 11-7 while the Dores won the year prior 11-9 on West End.
Sunday’s game is slated for a 1 pm CT start at the Vanderbilt Lacrosse Complex with gates opening at 12 pm. For fans that will not be able to make the game, it will be broadcast on Facebook Live via the Vanderbilt Athletics Facebook page. You can also keep up with the game via Game Tracker . For all things lacrosse, follow @VanderbiltLax on Twitter and Vanderbilt Women’s Lacrosse on Facebook.