We’re just 12.5% the way through the season, and No. 24 UConn women’s lacrosse has not lived up to the hopes they had coming into the campaign. After dropping a road game to Fairfield in their opener, they suffered another brutal defeat against No. 3 James Madison on Saturday.
The Huskies fell behind early and spent the whole game trying to make it back up. They came close to coming back but fell just short. It was a well-rounded scoring effort, with three different Huskies notching hat tricks.
Susan Lafountain had a great performance at the head of it. The attacker scored four times and added an assist, doing a lot to keep Connecticut’s hopes afloat. While she wasn’t big in the comeback, she made plays when nobody else could. Lafountain hasn’t come out of nowhere but has been the team’s best scorer thus far. Keeping the foot on the pedal as others get up to speed will be critical for her as UConn looks to get into the win column.
Along with Lafountain, Rayea Davis is another Husky who has been a pleasant surprise. The redshirt sophomore has seven goals through two games, scoring three on Saturday. Davis was projected to step up this year after a great freshman year and has lived up to the billing so far. Her goal in the waning minutes of the matchup put the Huskies in position to tie, but the team couldn’t muster another goal. Davis does a great job of peppering shots and adding pressure, and it would be even better if more of them found the back of the net.
Kate Shaffer, the Big East preseason player of the year, had another rough outing. After posting one goal in the Fairfield contest, she managed just two against the Dukes. In that pair of games last year, the grad student scored eight. She is the x-factor for Connecticut’s success as the go-to offensive option. This team could be in trouble if she’s not on every night.
UConn was jumped from the opening draw, conceding two goals in the first minute and another a few minutes later. They didn’t answer back until nearly halfway into the quarter but were able to pick up some momentum. Davis led the Huskies’ run of three unanswered as they knotted the score.
Then they fell asleep for the rest of the half. Over 18 minutes, the Dukes poured it on, netting seven shots to the Huskies’ one. Facing a six-goal deficit at the break, Connecticut was looking for answers.
Abby Charon and Lafountain contributed to a third-quarter where the Huskies outscored JMU, but they needed more in the fourth. The Dukes’ pair of goals to start the final frame was not helpful.
The Huskies came to play for the rest of the contest. Down by six, Lafountain scored a goal that started a 5-1 run, ending with a pair of Shaffer goals. James Madison’s Josie Pell scored a massive one to increase their advantage to three with five minutes left.
Giardina gave the Huskies their last chance to win, netting a massive goal in a free position with just two minutes left. Less than 23 seconds later, Davis nailed her own free-position shot. UConn was anxious to tie things, drawing one final free position with 23 seconds left down by one. Lafountain lined up to take it, but it was saved, giving the Huskies another defeat.
They’ll get nearly a week to regroup, up next at St. Joseph’s this Friday. The team plays their first five games on the road, not home until March 12.