MARCH 4, 2017

KING'S WOMEN'S LAXERS FALL 13-10 TO WIDENER

WILKES-BARRE -- The Widener University women's lacrosse team broke open a 7-7 game at the half by scoring the first five goals of the second stanza as the visiting Pride posted a 13-10 victory over host King's College on a frigid Saturday at McCarthy Stadium. 

With the win, Widener improved to 1-1 while King's slipped to 1-3.

With the teams playing in 25-degree temperatures, Widener took a 1-0 lead just 0:23 into the game on a Melanie Bert goal.  King's countered when Gabriella Morrocu scored off an assist from Katy Higinbothom 2:07 later and Anastasia Araviakis converted a free position goal to put the Lady Monarchs on top 2-1 with 24:23 to go in the first half. 

After Widener used a Kristi Roher goal to tie the game at 2-2, King's recaptured the lead at 3-2 when Ariavakis scored unassisted at the 20:35 mark.

Widener, however, responded with three straight goals to take a 5-3 lead with 17:49 on the clock. King's answered when Amanda Carroll struck net off a Morrocu assist to trim the lead to 5-4, but Widener used back-to-back scores to forge ahead 7-4 with 11:49 to play in the half.

King's, however, battled back as Kendra McCoy scored unassisted and Morrocu score twice more on assists by Carroll and McCoy, the second coming with 4:10 remaining as the teams entered the half-time break knotted at 7-7.

But in the second half, Widener scored five straight goals, two coming from Bert, to build a 12-7 lead with 13:56 to play.

King's again battled back as Morrocu scored off an assist from Araviakis, who then added her third goal of the match in a 2:06 span to bring the Lady Monarchs to within 12-9 with 8:50 remaining

After a Widener penalty, King's struck again as Morrocu scored her 13th goal of the season off a feed from Higinbothom with 7:49 on the clock. But King's committed a critical penalty at the three-minute mark and Widener capitalized when Bert scored fourth goal of the match on an extra-man chance to set the final score at 13-10.

Morrocu led King's with five goals, one assist, and four ground balls while Araviakis followed with three goals and an assist. McCoy and Carroll finished with one goal and one assist apiece while Higinbothom contributed two assists. Megan O'Brien chipped in with three ground balls and two caused turnovers. In goal, Victoria Zawacki had five saves.

The game was close statistically as Widener outshot King's 26-23 and held a 20-17 advantage in ground balls. The Pride also led 13-11 in draws and committed 18 turnovers compared to 19 for King's.

The Lady Monarchs will return to the field Thursday with a trip to Boston, MA when King's plays at Simmons College in a 12:00 noon matchup.