WORCESTER, Mass. (Mar. 20, 2024) – Despite a game-high 11 saves from senior Olivia Maute (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Hills), the No. 23 Mercy University women's lacrosse team dropped a hard-fought 10-9 decision to No. 22 Assumption University on Wednesday afternoon at Brian Kelly Stadium.
The Mavericks (1-6) have dropped five games in a row and fall to the Greyhounds (3-3) for the first time since 2019.
Mercy was led by junior Leah Hansen (Greenlawn, N.Y./Harborfields) who had a team-high three goals with one assist. Hansen recorded her 100th career point and now has 102 for her career. Sophomore Andrea Mott (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) had a game-high three assists and graduate student Erin Shimborske (Farmingdale, N.Y./Adelphi University) had two goals. Graduate student Sydney Corley (Coram, N.Y./Newfield), senior Kelly Rosenfeld (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) and junior Leena Moussa (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) also scored. Junior Lindsey Shimborske (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) had a goal with a game-high five ground balls and 11 draw controls. Maute made a season-high 11 saves to take the loss.
Assumption was led by Olivia Catanzarite who had a game-high six points on five goals and one assist. Skylar Troyan made 10 saves to earn the win.
The game remained scoreless until the 11:24 mark of the first quarter when Molly Weiand scored for the Greyhounds to make it 1-0. Hansen tied the game at 1-1 less than 30 seconds later following an assist from Mott. Back-to-back goals from Assumption gave the hosts a 3-1 lead with 3:37 remaining in the opening quarter. Rosenfeld netted the final goal of the quarter to cut the Greyhounds' lead to 3-2 after one quarter of play.
Neither team would score in the second quarter with Maute making four saves in the quarter and Troyan stopping three shots. Assumption headed into halftime with a 3-2 lead.
A Kyle Johnston goal at the 11:47 mark of the third quarter gave Assumption a 4-2 lead. Hansen recorded her second goal of the game with 10:32 on the clock, following another assist by Mott, to make it 4-3. The Greyhounds rallied with two straight goals to take a 6-3 lead with 7:02 left in the quarter, leading to a Mercy timeout. Following the timeout, Hansen and Erin Shimborske closed the quarter with goals to cut Assumption's lead to one, 6-5, after three quarters.
A Corley woman-up goal at the 12:29 mark of the fourth quarter tied the game at 6-6 following a Hansen assist. The Greyhounds scored the next four goals to take their largest lead of the game, 10-6, with 1:27 left. Assumption looked to have the game well in hand, but the Mavericks continued to battle and Erin Shimborske found the back of the net again with 1:07 left to make it 10-7. Lindsey Shimborske won the ensuing draw control and Moussa scored with 19 seconds on the clock to make it 10-8. Lindsey Shimborske won the draw control again and drew a free position attempt with eight seconds left. She scored with six seconds left to get the Mavericks within one, 10-9. After a Mercy timeout, Assumption won the draw control and ran out the clock, ending the Mavericks comeback attempt.
Assumption held a 29-24 edge in shots and a 20-17 edge in ground balls. Mercy held a 15-8 edge in draw controls.
Head Coach Dawn Sachs and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, March 23rd when they host UDC at 12 p.m.
