Rutgers Wins Thriller Over No. 13 Loyola, 12-11
Mar 28 | Women's Lacrosse
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Sophomore Brooke Cantwell (Moorestown, N.J.) and senior Nina Frankoski (Maplewood, N.J.) combined for seven goals, including the game-winner, as RU upset No. 13 Loyola, 12-11, Friday in Piscataway, N.J. Frankoski found the back of the net off an assist from Cantwell with 2:33 remaining in the contest and the Rutgers defense held off a furious Greyhounds attack to pull out the victory.
The Scarlet Knights received goals from sophomores Kristen Anderson (Wading River, N.Y.), Marley Welsh (Jarretsville, Md.) and Jennifer Schmidt (Perry Hall, Md.), as well as senior Michelle Poole (Long Valley, N.J.) and freshman Ali Steinberg (Suffern, N.Y.). Senior goalkeeper Sandra Abel (Monrovia, Md.) recorded five saves to get the win.
RU started fast, recording the game’s first four goals, from four different players. After Loyola’s Meg Taylor put the road team on the scoreboard, Cantwell and Frankoski tallied back-to-back scores to give Rutgers a 6-1 lead. But the Greyhounds regrouped and posted four consecutive goals of their own to get within one, 6-5, with under a minute remaining in the period. Steinberg’s only goal of the game came with 34 seconds remaining in the stanza, and it gave the Scarlet Knights a two-goal halftime cushion, 7-5.
The second half went back-and-forth, as the two teams traded two goals apiece. But Cantwell scored two goals in a two-minute span, the second coming with 14:34 remaining, to give RU a 10-7 advantage. Loyola was not done, however, scoring three consecutive times to even the contest at 10. But Cantwell was there to save RU, putting the home team up by one with 6:55 to go and then assisting on Frankoski’s game-winner with 2:33 remaining. A late goal by the Greyhounds’ Elizabeth Weber accounted for the final scoring.
RU returns to action on Sunday, March 29, with a game against No. 6 Georgetown at 2:00 p.m. at Yurcak Field.
