Late Rally Comes Up Just Short As Women's Lacrosse Falls At Saint Joseph's, 19-17

Wednesday, April 5

Philadelphia, Pa.

4:00 PM

Princeton University

4-5

Saint Joseph's

7-6

Princeton

Saint Joseph's

Late Rally Comes Up Just Short As Women's Lacrosse Falls At Saint Joseph's, 19-17

April 05, 2023 | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

A furious Princeton rally ran out of time as the Tigers were downed by Saint Joseph's, 19-17, in Philadelphia.

Princeton entered the fourth quarter trailing by six, and the deficit ballooned to seven with 9:12 remaining before five goals in a span of 2:53 closed the Tigers to within two with 2:11 remaining in regulation.

The Tigers had a chance to creep even further, but a McKenzie Blake shot with 1:45 remaining was denied by Jorden Concordia. The Hawks would go the other way and net a Sydney Foster goal with 0:14 remaining which ended the comeback attempt.

McKenzie Blake had six points in the game with five goals and an assist. Kate Mulham also netted five goals in the game, while Kari Buonanno and Grace Tauckus each had two goals and an assist.

Alexa Capozzoli and Kate Furhman each had four goals and two assists for Saint Joseph's, while Bonnie Yu and Erin O'Neill each had three goals.

Jorden Concordia was the difference for the Hawks, making 18 saves in the game. She had six in the first quarter while her team settled in and took a lead, and then she stopped seven shots while under siege in the fourth quarter during Princeton's rally.

The Tigers finished with a 46-33 shots advantage and a 35-26 lead in shots on goal. Each team won 20 draw controls in the game. Ellie Mueller (6) and McKenzie Blake (5) led Princeton, while Riley Evans (5) paced Saint Joseph's.

The Tigers sprinted out to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter, scoring three times in a span of 1:13 for a three-goal lead before the game was five minutes old.

McKenzie Blake opened the scoring 2:00 into the game before Kari Buonanno scooped home a backhander 0:35 later for a 2-0 lead.

Kate Mulham would make the lead 3-0 3:13 into the game with a nice dodge to goal and a switch to lefty for the finish.

The Hawks responded, scoring six of the final seven goals in the first quarter to take a 6-4 lead after the first period. Emma O'Neill had two goals and an assist in that run for Saint Joseph's, and the Hawks were bolstered by a big finish to the quarter from Jorden Concordia who made six saves after conceding the quick three goals.

Saint Joe's eventually built an 8-4 lead before Grace Tauckus scored to end a span of 19:06 without a goal for the Tigers. Amelia Hughes started the play with a point-blank save at one end before sending her teammates in transition down the field. Multiple Tigers had a quick touch before Tauckus snuck free at the goal for her 13th score of the season.

Princeton again closed to within three after an Ellie Mueller goal with 3:26 left in the first half, but three Saint Joseph's goals before the break sent the Hawks to halftime with a 12-6 lead.

The teams played to a 4-4 draw in the third quarter, Saint Joe's jumping to a 14-6 lead before another quick three goals from the Tigers tried to flip the script as Princeton closed to within five with 5:33 left in the third quarter. Kate Mulham had two goals in that mini-run for the Tigers.

In the fourth quarter, the Hawks built a seven-goal lead with a Capozolli goal with 9:12 remaining.

From there, the Tigers did everything they could to put the pressure on the Hawks. Princeton rallied with five goals to make it a two-goal game with just over two minutes to play. McKenzie Blake scored three of those goals, including a behind-the-back dandy assisted by Buonanno.

Kate Mulham also scored in that run, as did Nina Montes whose free position with 2:11 remaining made it a two-goal game.

Princeton won the ensuing draw and had a point-blank chance from Blake, but her low shot was stopped by Concordia for her 18th and final save of the game. Saint Joe's went the other way for a Foster goal with 0:14 remaining. The Tigers would get one more, Jami MacDonald scoring with 0:08 left, but time would run out on the Tigers.

Princeton returns home this weekend and returns to Ivy League play, hosting Columbia at 3:30 p.m. on April 8 at Class of 1952 Stadium.