The University of Rhode Island women’s lacrosse team fell 17-7 to Davidson College on Saturday, as the team played its first true home game of the season at the URI Soccer Complex.
The previous four home games of the season were played at Bryant University’s Beirne Stadium, as Meade Stadium continues to undergo renovations.
Davidson third-year Brooke Ross opened up the scoring with a goal just over a minute into the game, but URI first-year Celie Shield responded to tie the game at 1-1.
Ross once again found the back of the net to give Davidson the lead back at the midway point of the first quarter. The Rams then scored three goals from three different players in just under six minutes to take their first lead of the game, 4-2.
First-year Ashlyn Carpenter opened up the run 30 seconds after Ross netted her second goal. Second-year Kate Cumins then broke the four-minute scoring drought with a powerful shot to give Rhody a 3-2 lead.
Third-year Caralie Basuel finished the run as she faced her first one-on-one matchup of the game, spinning past her defender and scoring her team-leading 35th goal of the season.
First-year Kaitlyn Uller put one on the board for Davidson with 12 seconds remaining in the quarter to cut URI’s lead down to one. Shield extended the Rams’ lead back to two with the first goal of the second quarter and her second of the game.
“I think we support each other really well, and when I have my team by my side, I know I can keep doing great things,” Shield said. “They’re always there to support me.”
The 5-3 lead was the largest lead that URI held in the game. Davidson scored 10 straight goals from the 10:44 mark in the second quarter to the 11:31 mark in the fourth quarter to take a 13-5 lead. Ross scored four goals over the stretch as she finished with six goals, a career-high in single-game goals.
The main culprit for Rhody’s lengthy scoring drought was turnovers. Rhody finished with 14 turnovers, including nine combined in the second and third quarters. Davidson finished with just six all game.
Turnovers have been a problem all season for the Rams, as they sit tied for second in the Atlantic 10 Conference in total turnovers with 206 and third in turnovers per game, averaging 15.85.
“It’s a lot of wide open mistakes,” head coach Jenna Slowey said. “We are putting too much pressure on ourselves, and we just have to be able to play the game of lacrosse.”
Sixth-year Caitlin Dellecave ended the 33-minute scoring drought with a shot that snuck past reigning Atlantic 10 Goalkeeper of the Year, third-year Kayla Joyce. Cumins added another goal 90 seconds later to bring the Wildcats’ lead down to six.
The scoring surge came too late as the Rams were once again held scoreless for the final nine minutes of game time, while Davidson tacked on another four goals.
The loss pushed URI to 2-4 in A-10 play, good for eighth in the conference. Despite being two games below .500 in A-10 play, Rhody sits just one game out of sixth place and a spot in the program’s first Atlantic 10 Tournament.
The Rams finish up their two-game homestand with a matchup against Virginia Commonwealth University on Saturday at 11 a.m. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
