ALBANY, N.Y. – In a back-and-forth matchup, a strong second half run by Albany held off the Colgate women's lacrosse program on Sunday afternoon. Despite a career-high of five goals by sophomore Eliza Soutter, the Raiders fell in a 15-12 final.
 
Colgate will begin Patriot League play next Saturday, March 6 as it hosts Army at Andy Kerr Stadium.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Starting out the nonconference matchup, Albany carried the ball down for an early 1-0 lead, while a big Amelia Cunningham save on a free position attempt kept Colgate within one. At the other end of the field, Eliza Soutter converted on a wide free position shot to even things up at 1-1.
 
The first half continued to be a back-and-forth game, as Albany was able to score on the rebound after an initial stop to regain the lead, before Colgate fled back down the field. Eliza Farriss' fourth of the season was quickly followed by Cara O'Reilly's first of the season to put Colgate on top for the first time at 3-2. Just as Colgate notched their two, Albany tied it yet again and ultimately gained a 5-3 lead behind a three-goal run with a shot high to the cage.
 
A Farriss free position, and a goal from the edge of the arc by Noelle Patterson went on to tie the game at 5-5 minutes later, a score that would stand through the horn on the half.
 
Returning to the field in an even game, Albany opened with one, but a Sarah Harding tally ignited the Colgate offense early in the second half. The Raiders four-goal run started to stretch the score as they gained a 9-6 lead against the in-state rival. After Soutter's hat trick tally, Colgate presented some strong defense that drove play wide of the net.
 
It didn't hold off the Great Danes though, as Albany answered with three straight to tie the game yet again at 9-9. Soutter came up with the quick answer as her and Kyra Lucey charged the circle, effectively putting Colgate back on top at 10-9. However, by capitalizing on a free position attempt, Albany tied it for the seventh time of the afternoon.
 
Soutter wasn't finished yet, as her career-high fifth goal found the twine down low to regain Colgate's control yet again.
 
After holding as much as a three-goal edge, the Raiders fell behind at the 12-11 marker with just over 10:00 remaining in regulation. With an odd bounce, Albany gained a two-goal lead late. Patterson eventually snapped a five-goal streak by Albany, but it would be too late for the Raiders to come back in the 15-12 final.
 
STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
• By scoring five of Colgate's 12 goals, sophomore Eliza Soutter recorded a new career-high offensive performance.
• Colgate was strong on the draw, as the team won 20 possessions, compared to Albany's nine.
• The effort was led by sophomore Grace Bowers' career-high of nine draw control wins, along with a career-best of eight by sophomore Cara O'Reilly.
• Making an early impact with the program is first-year Kyra Lucey. The attack added a team-high of three assists on the day to hold a total of nine points through the season's two games.
• A well-rounded performance also came from fellow first-year Eliza Farriss as she posted four points by three goals and one assist. The midfielder added two ground ball recoveries while going 1-for-1 on free position opportunities.
• Ultimately, the teams battled through eight tie scores on the day.
 
THE BOTTOM LINE
• Albany 15, Colgate 12
 
RECORD UPDATES
• Colgate holds a 1-1 overall record.
• Albany starts the season with a 2-1 overall record.
 
HEAD COACH KATHY TAYLOR'S TAKE
"Today was a tough battle against a very good Albany team and in the end we came up short. I was proud of the grit our young team showed.
 
"Our draw team did an excellent job of getting us the ball, but collectively we need to take care of it better. Our turnovers were costly down the stretch but we will learn from it and grow. It is early and we are just so excited to be playing games."
 
UP NEXT
Colgate returns home to Andy Kerr Stadium on Saturday, March 6. The Raiders open their seven-game Patriot League slate by hosting Army in a 1:30 p.m. first draw.
 
FOLLOW THE RAIDERS
For more information on the Colgate women's lacrosse program, follow the Raiders on Twitter @ColgateWLax and on Instagram at ColgateWLax.