PHILADELPHIA, PA – The La Salle women's lacrosse team (9-4) came up one goal short in a 14-13 loss to Villanova in the MAAC opener at Kirk Pool on Wednesday evening.
Freshman attacker Nadya Azzopardi powered the offense, tying her career-high with five goals and an assist.
Junior attacker Martina Bonet Saez filled the stat sheet with three goals, four assists, and three steals.
Junior goalkeeper Lily Kirby anchored the defense with nine saves, two assists, and also scored her second career goal in the contest.
Villanova jumped out to a 5-3 lead after the opening quarter, winning each of the sprints and capitalizing early. • La Salle steadied in the second quarter, closing the gap by outscoring the Wildcats 3-2 to trim the deficit to 7-6 at halftime.
The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth battle, with both sides netting four goals, but Villanova's Anna Painter netted the game-winning goal with 15 seconds left in the game.
Both teams played even in the third quarter with three goals apiece, keeping the margin within a single score heading into the final period.
Before the start of the game, the Explorers honored six seniors with a pregame ceremony.
La Salle returns to MAAC action against VMI on Saturday, March 14 at 9 a.m. at Villanova.
