Box Score Less than 20 hours after winning a thrilling double overtime game at McDaniel, the Lady Royals found themselves back on the field in Fredericksburg, Va., taking on Mary Washington. The women trailed by only one goal midway through the second half before wearing out and suffering a 4-1 loss.
In an even first half, the host Eagles snuck in a goal in the fourth minute. EMU nearly tied it up in the 16th minute, with two shots in the span of 18 seconds. Hailee Rittle (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) ripped a shot which the goalie saved followed by a Jessica Blanks (Midlothian, Va./Manchester) shot which a UMW defender knocked away.
Early in the second, Mary Washington struck again, scoring in the 40th minute to push the lead to 2-0. But the Lady Royals surged back and controlled play for a seven-minute span.
Freshman Nicole Bencsik (Telford, Pa./Souderton) started the push with a score in the 45th minute, getting an assist from Adriana Santiago (Souderton, Pa./Christopher Dock), to get within one score. The women continue the edge into the 52nd minute, getting five penalty corners and three shots, but couldn't find a way to tie the game.
As fatigue started to set in on EMU, the Eagles took back over and added two insurance goals down the stretch, producing the final 4-1 margin.
The Lady Royals were outshot 13-6, including 9-5 in shots on goal. Goalie Becky Nolt (East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs) made five saves.
The loss snaps a three-game winning streak for Eastern Mennonite, dropping their record to 5-3 overall. With a 1-0 mark in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, the women return to league play Thursday evening, with a home date against Randolph-Macon.