SOUTH BEND, Ind. — A back-and-forth game went ultimately fell the way of the visitors Saturday as the University of Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team dropped a 12-10 decision to the Virginia Cavaliers.
A pair of Irish attackers led the way with hat trick performances but it was not enough as the No. 4 Irish move to 5-2 on the season and 1-2 in conference play.
The Virginia women got on the board first less than a minute into play but Kasey Choma found the answer at 1:23 of the first quarter to make it a 1-1 game early.
Lilly Callahan made a pair of key saves on the following two Cavalier possessions to keep it a tie game halfway through the opening quarter.
Virginia finally broke the stalemate with 6:35 left in the first frame after a turnover in the middle-30 forced the teams back into the Irish defensive end.
Abby Maichin drew the Irish even with her shot with 5:25 to play in the quarter before Kelly Denes won the ensuing draw and gave the home team another possession and chance to take the lead. After a shot sailed wide, MK Doherty received the ball and fed it over to Choma who ripped a shot into the back of the goal to take the 3-2 lead, the team’s first lead of the day.
A free position shot for the Cavaliers tied it back up, 3-3, with under three minutes left in the opening frame.
The two teams traded possession before Virginia took advantage of a late shot to claim the 4-3 lead through 15 minutes played.
Madison Ahern evened it up yet again with a free position goal just 36 seconds into the second quarter. Maichin’s second of the day gave the Irish the 5-4 lead just 23 seconds later but the Cavaliers responded with a bouncing shot low that beat Callahan to make it 5-5.
Virginia then regained the lead with 10:29 left in the second but Denes’ big draw control gave the Irish the ball back and a yellow card against the Cavaliers had the Irish a woman up for two minutes.
Ahern’s second of the day tied it up at 6-6 shortly after the infraction just over five minutes into the quarter.
The Cavaliers took the edge with a shot almost nine minutes into the second quarter to make it 7-6 in favor of the visitors.
When the Cavaliers were awarded a free position shot in the final seconds of the half, Callahan stepped up with a save off her helmet to keep it a one-goal game through 30 minutes played.
Virginia opened the second half scoring with a powerplay goal after an infraction in the neutral zone sent an Irish midfielder off the field for 60 seconds.
After allowing the first two goals of the second half, the Irish bounced back with a hat trick goal from Ahern to cut the deficit to two with 9:44 to play in the third quarter.
A pair of Virginia goals gave them the 11-7 lead late in the third quarter but the Irish responded with six seconds left for the hat trick. The play was reviewed briefly and upheld to make it an 11-8 game heading into the final quarter of regulation.
Doherty scored the first two goals of the final quarter to draw the Irish back within one with 11:55 to play in an 11-10 game.
A collision in front of the crease sent an Irish defender to the box with a yellow card and the Cavaliers took advantage of the powerplay opportunity to make it 12-10 with 7:19 to play in the last frame.
The score would hold through the final horn as the Irish were unable to convert on their last handful of possessions, ultimately falling to the Cavaliers 12-10 Saturday afternoon.
UP NEXT
The Irish will spend spring break on the road with a pair of contests slated against top-25 teams at Brown and Boston College.
The road trip begins Wednesday, March 13 with a 5 p.m. game against Brown in Rhode Island. The team then returns to ACC play at noon on Saturday, March 16 as they close out their East Coast tour against the Eagles.