Fitchburg State Falls To Methodist, 8-7

White notches three goals to lead Falcons in non-conference steback

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (March 10, 2014) – Ashley Cannon made 11 saves and the Methodist women's lacrosse team used a 5-0 run early in the second half to hold off Fitchburg State, 8-7, at Monarch Stadium on Monday afternoon.
 
Cannon's 11 saves marked the third-highest total she has had this season, and helped the Monarchs (3-6) hold Fitchburg State (1-1) to an 0-for-6 total on free position shots. Conversely, MU converted 4-of-9 free position shots, including 3-for-3 in the second half, as the Monarchs rallied from an early 4-1 deficit, and a 6-3 deficit with 28:24 to play.
 
Trailing 4-3 at the half, Methodist found itself down, 6-3, less than two minutes into the second half as FSU's Ali Laferriere (Tyngsboro, Mass.) and Markie Apple (Pittsfield, Mass.) found the back of the net to begin the final 30:00. Cassie Walter then began MU's 5-0 burst with three straight goals. She began the barrage when the scored at the 27:21 mark that made it 6-4. At the 23:44 mark she tallied on a free position shot to pull the Monarchs within a goal at 6-5. It took Walter less than a minute to tie the game at 6-6 as she was awarded another free position shot and beat Elizabeth Darrigo (Billerica, Mass.) at the 22:56 mark.
 
Madison Antor got into the act when she scored off a feed from Hope Motahari at the 21:10 mark that gave MU its first lead of the game, 7-6. Sareena Coleman capped the scoring for the Monarchs when she scored on a free position shot with 16:51 to play.
 
Fitchburg trimmed its deficit to a single goal, 8-7, on Andrea Comeau's (Watertown, Mass.) goal with 13:44 to play. The Falcons had several chances to tie the game late, but Cannon saved a pair of free position shots and FSU missed two others in the final six minutes of action.
 
Fitchburg State scored the first three goals of the game before Zhane Ruffin got MU on the board with a free position shot at the 15:50 mark. FSU scored again to make it 4-1 before Coleman's unassisted goal with 9:18 left in the opening half made it 4-2. That appeared to be the score that would carry into halftime, but Motahari ripped a shot past Darrigo with just one second remaining in the first half for a 4-3 game at the break.
 
For the game, FSU outshot MU, 27-24, and came up with 10 draw controls to six for the Monarchs. Methodist however, forced the Falcons into 27 turnovers, while committing 21, and picked up 26 ground balls to FSU's 24.
 
Walter finished with three goals to lead MU. She added four ground balls. Coleman had two goals and added three ground balls. Defensively, Bianca Terenzi had four caused turnovers and four ground balls, and Ashlea Weems had four caused turnovers and five ground balls.
 
For Fitchburg State, White had three goals, and Comeau added a pair of goals. Samantha Bontempoand Abby Norden each had four ground balls. Darrigo took the loss in goal, making eight saves.