The Bison women’s lacrosse team fell to the nationally-ranked No. 11 Virginia Tech Hokies by a score of 14-4 in their first game of the 2019 season on Feb. 9.

Experiencing immediate pressure by the Hokies from the first whistle, the Orange and Blue fell behind early, as Virginia Tech scored seven consecutive goals in the first half. Despite this setback, the Bison managed to get on the board with a free-position goal by Eve Calabria ’21.

Calabria, last season’s leading scorer, continued to prove her offensive dominance on the field. She went on to score her second goal of the game in the second half, the 21st of her career. Captain Audrey Walsh ’19 contributed a goal shortly after, which was her 44th career tally, followed by Kali Peeples ’21 with her first career goal as a Bison, assisted by Amy Roche ’22.

“This past weekend the team competed in a game where the score felt closer than the scoreboard reflected,” Peeples said. “There are a few things we are looking to improve over the next few weeks, but overall I am very excited for the future.”

The Bison tallied nine shots and 17 ground balls compared to Virginia Tech’s 33 shots and 24 ground balls. Eva Macris ’22 accumulated a team-high four ground balls throughout the game.

In the goal, Jamie DeWitt ’19 collected eight saves. Callie DeWitt ’19 also proved to be an important asset on the defensive end, leading the Orange and Blue with three caused turnovers.

Building on a game against the Hokies, a 2018 NCAA Tournament participant, the Bison will now look to gain momentum in their next few non-conference games. They will next compete in their home opener on the newly renovated Graham Field against Hofstra on Feb. 16 at 11 a.m.