Weather was not a friend of the women’s lacrosse team the past two weeks as three of four games scheduled were cancelled or postponed due to inclement weather. In the one game the Red Hawks did get in, senior Hilary Lahn and freshman Natalie White each tallied a hat trick but it was not enough, as the Dickinson Red Devils got out early and held on for a 10-8 victory in Royal Palm Beach, Fla.
The Red Hawks showed signs of being in their first game as the Red Devils jumped out to a 5-2 halftime lead. “We expected the first 15 minutes of the game to be somewhat haphazard as is true of most opening games,” commented Head Coach Leslie Khachadourian. “Unfortunately, our nerves got the better of us for the first half.”
Freshmen Carly Strife and Tory Lyons also scored goals for RPI, who did better controlling the play in the second half, outscoring Dickinson 6-5. Strife and classmate Brianne Balzer tallied assists for the Red Hawks.
Lesley Oot and Jena Boccetti each had two goals to lead the Red Devils, who improved to 2-1.
Khachadourian took some positives out of the game. “We were able to see our preseason work come together in game form,” she said. “Our freshmen really stepped up as is evident in goals by Tory Lyons, Carly Strife, and Natalie White.”
When asked about having three games postponed to start the season, Khachadourian replied, “I would have liked to have had those games under our belt going into this weekend’s matchups with Union and Skidmore. It’s not the most ideal of situations to have just one game down going into these games and this week’s practices are critical in preparing for the weekend.”
The Red Hawks are in action on Harkness Field this weekend when they open Liberty League play against Capital District foes Union and Skidmore. “These are big games for us and we are pumped up to rival both teams,” said Khachadourian.
Friday’s game against the Dutchwomen starts at 4 pm and Saturday’s contest with the Thoroughbreds begins at 2 pm.
The games against Oneonta State and Hartwick, which were postponed due to the weather, have been rescheduled for April 28 and 29, respectively. The game against Smith has been cancelled.
