Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

BALTIMORE -- Despite a solid effort for three-quarters of the game, the host Loyola University (Md.) Greyhounds upended the University of Delaware in the final 10 minutes of women’s lacrosse action on Tuesday afternoon to earn a 15-9 victory at Diane Geppi-Aikens Field.

Loyola (3-3 overall) tallied seven of the final eight goals scored in the game to overpower Delaware (1-3 overall).

In a game that was knotted on seven occasions, Delaware was first to score. UD went ahead 2-0 early in the game, a lead that turned out to be the Hens’ largest of the day. The teams brought the game to a draw four times in the first stint before entering intermission at five-all.

The Hens and Greyhounds continued to exchange scores nine minutes into the latter half as Loyola led 10-9, but five Greyhound goals over the last 10 minutes of action vaulted the host squad to a victory.

Junior midfielder Grace Gavin tallied four goals and two assists to lead the game for Loyola, while junior midfielder Abby Rehfuss notched a hat trick to boot. Three other Greyhounds scored a pair of goals each.

For the Blue Hens junior attack Corrine Drost scored four goals to become the Hens’ leading scorer, while sophomore attack Blair King added two for the Blue and Gold.

Following over eight minutes without any scoring, Delaware opened scoring at the 21:34 mark when junior midfielder Ali Libertini netted her eighth of the season. The Blue Hens went on to take a 2-0 lead at 19:19 when junior midfielder Julianna Jeffers scored on a free position shot.

Loyola tallied two of their own to knot the game for the first time during the action. Senior midfielder Emily Gibson capitalized on a Caroline Hager assist at 18:26 to score the Greyhounds’ first before Gavin scored on a free position shot at 17:24 to tie the game at two.

Delaware responded at 15:54 to take a 3-2 edge as Drost (top right) scored off an Stephanie Allen assist, but Loyola went on to record two straight and take their first lead of the game. Rehfuss was unassisted at 14:09 and junior attack Mary Heneberry scored in a free position situation at 13:39.

At 10:56 Delaware senior attack Courtney Aburn posted a goal on a Jeffers assist before the Blue Hens would regain the advantage at 9:25 when King made good on an unassisted shot. But the half would conclude in a 5-5 stalemate as Rehfuss scored the last of the period at 7:50.

In the second frame, King netted her second consecutive UD goal to put the Hens in front, 6-5, before Rehfuss scored on a free position opportunity at 26:59. Drost was next to up the scoreboard after using a King pass to lead 7-6 at the 24-minute mark.

Loyola went on to notched back-to-back goals and never again trail. Gavin assisted junior midfielder Cara Filippelli at 22:33 before junior midfielder Meg Decker went unassisted at 21:04 to give the Greyhounds an 8-7 advantage. Delaware responded and tied the game for the final time as Drost capitalized on an Emily Schaknowski feed to knot the game, 8-8, at 17:56.

Five minutes passed before the Greyhounds tipped off their streak.

Hager and Gavin were unassisted just 11 seconds apart at 12:58 and 12:47, respectively, before Drost tallied UD’s last of the contest bringing the game within one, 10-9. Drost posted a free position goal at 11:16 prior to the Greyhounds’ five unanswered to close out the game.

Hager, Heneberry and Filippelli each scored on assists from Gibson, Decker and Gavin, respectively, to lead 13-9 with 3:10 lingering on the clock. Gavin, who has recorded a team-high 18 goals this season, tallied the Greyhounds’ final two scores. The Baltimore native recorded goals on assists from Gibson and Decker at 1:40 and the 15-second mark to finalize all scoring at 15-9.

Each squad took 28 shots throughout the contest. Loyola sophomore Kerry Stoothoff made eight stops in goal and Delaware junior keeper Makenzie Worthington saved seven.

Loyola led UD in groundballs, 19-14, and draw controls, 18-8. They Greyhounds also made good on 4-of-6 free position opportunities to Delaware’s 2-of-6.

Delaware will next return to Rullo Stadium to face its second ranked opponent this week, the No. 14 Nittany Lions on Saturday, March 13 at 12 p.m.

AGATE:

Delaware..............5.....4..........9
Loyola (Md.)........5.....10........15

Scoring Summary:
DELAWARE - Drost, Corrine goals 4-0 assists; King, Blair 2-1; Jeffers, Julianna 1-1; Aburn, Courtney 1-0; Libertini, Ali 1-0;Allen, Stephanie 0-1; Schaknowski, Emily 0-1.
LOYOLA (Md.) - Gavin, Grace 4-2; Rehfuss, Abby 3; Hager, Caroline 2-1; Filippelli, Cara 2; Heneberry, Mary 2; Decker, Meg 1-2; Gibson, Emily 1-2.

Shots: Delaware - 28, Loyola - 28; Groundballs: UD - 14, LOY - 19; Draw Controls: UD - 8, LOY - 18; Clears: UD 16-18, LOY 18-23; Fouls: UD - 19, LOY - 29; Saves: UD - 7 (Worthington, Makenzie); LOY - 8 (Stoothoff, Kerry); Turnovers: UD - 14, LOY - 19; Attendance: 417.