Enrique Carrasco, Editor

Courtesy of Sean Cornely

The La Salle Lacrosse (0-12) faced off against the Duquesne Dukes (1-11) at home for their Morgan’s Message game. The Explorers were coming off of a 12-game losing streak and hoped to bring this streak to a halt against the Dukes.

The Explorers were off to a hot start after Junior transfer Alana Lathan was able to get the ball past the goalkeeper to give the Explorers an early 1-0 lead. The Dukes, however, were able to strike right back against a transitioning defense, bringing the game to 1-1. Lathan, however, refused to let the Dukes gain any momentum, once again finding the back of the net with yet another free-position goal. The Dukes then won the next face-off, allowing them to go on a 4-0 run that extended into the second quarter. This run was only halted after Junior attacker Lola Quigly received a pass from Junior midfielder Mackenzie Click, which Quigly was able to easily convert into a goal, bringing the game to 5-3. Duquesne then went on another 4-0 run, bringing the game to 9-3 with only six minutes left in the half. The Explorers refused to go down without a fight, bringing the game to 9-8 heading into the half. 

It seemed like the halftime break was exactly what the Dukes needed, scoring three unanswered goals to open the third quarter of play. This run was only stopped when Junior midfielder Maddie Henderson was able to score an unassisted goal to bring the game to 12-9. The Explorers continued to build on this momentum, and after a goal from Ellen Stickney coming off a pass from Katie Johnson, the Explorers were able to bring the game within two goals. Duquesne, feeling the pressure coming from the Explorers, ramped up their offense, answering right back with two goals of their own. Junior midfielder Claudia Steinmetz was then able to score her own goal, bringing the game to 14-11. 

The Explorers, however, failed time after time to win a significant amount of post-goal face off, leading to Duquesne having a majority of the possession in the second half. After three unanswered goals by the Dukes, Stickney was again able to find the back of the net after a pass from Click. This was not enough to stop the Dukes, and after one final 4-0 run from the Dukes, the Explorers fell 21-12. The Explorers tallied a total of 32 shots, with 22 of them being on the net. 

The Explorers will travel to St. Bonaventure next and then will face off against Davidson at home for their last regular season game.