By Keon Edington / The Jambar
In search of its first win this season, the Youngstown State University women’s lacrosse team fell to 0-6 during a three-game stretch against Monmouth University, University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Marquette University on Feb. 22, Feb. 25 and March 6, respectively.
The Penguins faced the Hawks in West Long Branch, New Jersey and fell 17-7.
The Hawks took an early lead with the team’s first goal scored with 14:06 left in the first quarter. The Hawks never let up as they scored five straight goals over the next 13 minutes to bring the score to 6-0.
YSU would finally get points on the scoreboard as sophomore Claire Baenziger scored with 2:42 left in the quarter. However, the Hawks added two more scores to end the quarter 8-1.
The Penguins would be the first to score in the second quarter with 7:45 left as freshman Maya Griffin scored off an assist from junior Mia Yuris.
The Hawks could not be stopped as they added two more scores in the final six minutes of the quarter. Senior Ally Garrett would score another goal with just four seconds remaining in the second quarter for the Penguins to put the score at 10-3 going into the half.
Monmouth continued to add more points, with another goal bringing the score up to 12-3. Garrett continued to score as she secured the fourth goal for YSU with 7:19 left in the quarter. For the Hawks, senior Shea Berigan tacked on one more goal with 5:42 left as the third quarter came to an end at 12-4.
Griffin gave YSU the first points of the fourth quarter with 10:57 left in the game. Freshmen Lilly Mattucci and Molly Brooks added the team’s final two goals to set the score at 14-7. The Hawks would conclude with three straight goals to end the game at 17-7.
Following the matchup, the ‘Guins kept on the road and faced the Retrievers in Baltimore, Maryland and lost 14-5.
Junior Ava Kreutzer gave YSU its first lead when she scored only five seconds into the first quarter. The Retrievers quickly responded with three straight goals in under a minute from each other, leaving the score 3-1.
Kreutzer scored once more with 5:06 left on the clock, putting the Guins within a point at 3-2, but the Retrievers regained control and added on four more goals to widen the gap, 7-2.
Junior Gwen Bogash tried to get the momentum back in the Penguins’ favor with a goal, with 1:35 left in the half putting the score at 7-3. Bogash’s next three goals helped swing momentum in favor of the Penguins.
With 1:35 left in the first half, Bogash netted her first goal of the contest, followed by her second with 13:58 remaining in the third quarter. She completed the hat trick seven minutes later to bring the score to 8-5.
The Retrievers held the lead over the Penguins as they scored seven of the last eight goals to secure the win.
The Penguins played March 6 on Farmers National Bank Field for the first time this season against Marquette. The Golden Eagles scored three straight goals in the opening three minutes to take an early lead.
Garrett put YSU on the board with 10:25 left in the quarter, but despite the point, Marquette found the back of the cage and posted four straight goals to take a 7-1 lead.
For Youngstown State, Baenziger scored the team’s next two points in under a minute. By the end of the first quarter, the Golden Eagles tacked on one more goal for a score of 8-3.
Marquette opened the scoring in the second quarter, but YSU followed with a point from Garrett, assisted by sophomore Mary Gasper.
The Golden Eagles continued to put points on the board as the score widened to 14-4. Baenziger and Kreutzer scored back-to-back goals to bring the Penguins within 14-6.
Baeziger capped off her second hat trick of the season with two more goals, bringing her game total up to five. Yuris added one more goal for the Penguins, but Marquette’s offense took over and put the game out of reach with two more goals.
The Penguins will be in action March 14 against the University of Massachusetts at Farmers National Bank Field.