The University of Rhode Island Women’s Club Lacrosse team put together one of their best performances all season, battling to the final quarter with rival UConn before falling 13-11 at Meade Stadium last Saturday.
The loss moves the Rams to a 3-5 record on the season with only three games remaining.
The Rams battled an aggressive UConn offense from the start, but were able to win draws and control possessions for the majority of the first half. With several lead changes going into the second half; the matchup came down to the overall performance of each team’s defense, before UConn ultimately bested the Rams to secure the victory.
In the midst of a rebuilding year, the Rams have been working to consistently improve after every game. Like many club sports teams on campus, the team is being run by their four captains — Peyton Hunt, Lauren Dobson, Emma Hume, and Kaitlin Morgan. The four student-athletes, all starters in the lineup, each help to successfully fulfill the roles of a coach, while also competing.
Junior captain and defensive player Kaitlin Morgan credited the work the team has been putting in at practice for their success against UConn.
“We’ve really been focusing on our transitions from defense to offense, while also focusing on remaining confident when we’re on the field,” Morgan said. “We’ve played them before so we knew what to expect, it was just a matter of actually playing it out.”
Score aside, junior captain Emma Hume was also proud of the way the team came together to battle the Huskies’ up to the final minute.
“The last time we played UConn, they beat us 22-8, so it was pretty bad,” Hume said. “Going into the game Saturday, we knew what we needed to do to win. We were right there the whole time and kept the score within two possessions as the game went on. Towards the end of the game, their defense was putting pressure on us and we made mental errors that cost us the game. But to say we didn’t improve would be a lie, the score proved that.”
Hunt, the club’s president along with being a team captain, noted the team’s positivity and resilience that has led to their successful improvement on the field.
“We’re a really great team,” Hunt said. “All our players are highly skilled, but those tiny mental errors can really add up and cost us a game. Friday, the pressure of UConn’s defense haltered our momentum and they were able to surpass us. It’s difficult to come back from that, but we always stayed positive and we never gave up. I think that really says alot about us as a team overall.”
Hunt continued on to note that it was fellow captain and star midfielder Lauren Dobson who was crucial in raising the team’s confidence throughout the day. She finished the day off with five out of the team’s 11 goals.
“I tried to go into the game with the same positive attitude I always do, but this game was different because they had beaten us so badly before.” Dobson noted. “We try to emphasize on moving forward from our mistakes to the girls, and Friday was no exception. We started the game with such confidence, I know if we played that way the entire game, we could’ve won.”
With just over a week remaining in the regular season, the Rams look towards this Friday where they will head to Storrs, Conn. in a rematch against UConn at 6 p.m.