After starting the season strong with two consecutive wins, the women’s lacrosse team was unable to stop a strong Villanova squad on Feb. 27, falling with a score of 12-8. The Bison were led on offense by Eve Lukowski ’18, who scored a career-high four goals, followed closely by Maddy Molinari ’17, who tallied three goals on the day. Mary Margaret Kenney ’18 rounded out the scoring for the Bison when she netted a goal, and goalie Jamie DeWitt ’19 recorded a career-high 10 saves in an effort for the Orange and Blue defense.

The two teams began the match-up neck and neck, holding the score at 2-2 until late in the first half. After alternating goals, Villanova went on a scoring run with three tallies in a row to put them up. Lukowski was able to slip in one more goal for the Bison before the half concluded. Wildcat offense dominated play, out-shooting the Bison 31-15 throughout the game.

The second half got off to a difficult start for the Orange and Blue. Villanova stormed the field to go on a 5-1 scoring streak, placing the Bison at an even further deficit. The team did not give up, however, and a combination of goals from Molinari, Kenney, and Lukowski brought the score to 10-8 with about five minutes left in the second half.

The tenacity of the Bison was evident in the draw controls, as the Orange and Blue moved from only two of nine draw controls in the first half to six of 12 in the second. An unfortunate string of last-minute penalties slowed the Bison’s momentum towards the end of the game, and Villanova rounded out their scoring to bring the match-up to an end with a final score of 12-8.

“One thing I’m looking forward to this season is playing other Patriot League teams and showing them what our women’s lacrosse is all about. We are here to win and showing other teams our capabilities is really exciting,” DeWitt said.

The Bison will return to action when they will travel to Riverdale, N.Y. to face Manhattan on March 5.