Coming off of a tough road loss to Cornell, the UConn women’s lacrosse team continued their season on a bad note against the Albany Great Danes, allowing two quick goals to open the contest.
Then, the Huskies responded in a big way, scoring five unanswered goals to take a lead they would not give up, and taking down Albany 20-12 at Morrone Stadium on Wednesday.
In that five-score span, it was Rayea Davis who was the star of the show, adding a hat trick in a three-minute period. Lia Laprise and Susan Lafountain each tallied a goal, with Laprise also assisting one of Davis’ goals.
Albany responded late in the first quarter with another goal to make it 5-3, but UConn notched another two goals via Laprise, giving a second Husky an early hat trick.
Connecticut’s leading scorer, Kate Shaffer, put herself on the board in the second, adding two of UConn’s second-quarter goals en route to a dominant 11-6 lead at the half. Also scoring were Lafountain and Morgan Carter, both in the last minute before the break.
Despite being down by nearly double at halftime, the Great Danes wouldn’t accept defeat without a fight. Albany scored three unanswered goals to open the half, only to see the resilient Huskies tack on three of their own thanks to Carter, Shaffer and Davis.
That seemed to be the theme of the second half — whenever Albany started to cut away their deficit, UConn kept it in stride and responded with their own. Credit to head coach Katie Woods, who was able to keep her team focused despite counterattack efforts all afternoon.
In the fourth quarter, it was more of the same. Albany scored yet another goal to make it 14-10, but Carter notched her third of the game in retaliation. Great Dane Allie Maloney scored two quick unanswered in response, but UConn added more and then some, earning five goals to close out the game 20-12. The 20 scores marked a season high for Connecticut, besting the home opener total of 18, a matchup that was won in overtime.
This was a dominant showing from the Husky offense, with five different players earning hat tricks: Davis, Shaffer, Lafountain, Laprise and Carter.
With Laprise’s third assist of the day, she reached 246 career points, putting her in sole possession of the No. 3 spot in the UConn record books for points scored.
On the other side, goalkeeper Landyn White excelled, facing 25 shots on goal, saving 13 of them. Despite immense pressure, White was able to help her team create some separation on the scoreboard, ultimately earning the victory.
This contest marked UConn’s One Love game. Partnering with the One Love Foundation, both the Huskies and the Great Danes wore One Love branded warmup shirts. The organization was founded in honor of Virginia student athlete Yeardley Love, who passed away in 2010 as a result of a domestic violence incident. Today, One Love spreads prevention education to young people across the country, allowing them to better avoid domestic abuse.
With the win, Connecticut rises to 5-3 on the season. The Huskies get this weekend off, allowing them to rest before heading on the road to take on Hofstra. The game will take place at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 28.
