Women's lacrosse falls to Emerson

BOSTON, Mass. – Despite senior Jennifer Jones (Basking Ridge, N.J.) career-high seven goals, the Salve Regina women's lacrosse team suffered a tough 13-12 loss to Emerson College on a goal in the final minutes of the second period.

With the loss, Salve Regina falls to 1-4 on the season while Emerson evens its record at 4-4.

Salve Regina opened the game up on a 4-0 run over the first 4:18. Freshmen Abigail Tepper (Foxboro, Mass.) and Lisa Pulie (Trumbull, Conn.) sandwiched a pair of free position shot goals around Jones first goal of the game, also a free position shot to give the Seahawks a 1-0 lead. Jones netted her second goal of the game off an assist from senior Gina Tortorici (Deer Park, N.Y.) to push the visitor's lead to 4-0.

The Lions scratched their way back and went on a 4-0 sprint over the next 2:30 to tie the game at 4-4. Se Senior Tracie Lambardo (Rochester, N.Y.) scored twice for the Lions over that stretch. The two teams then exchanged goals and a pair of goals before Salve Regina ended the first half, scoring a pair of goals sandwiched around an Emerson goal. Salve Regina took the 9-8 advantage into half time.

Emerson opened the second half with two quick goals to take its first lead of the game, 10-9. Salve Regina quickly answered, however, as Jones scored her fifth of the game off a free position shot with 17:31 to go to tie the game, 10-10. Emerson took the lead back with two more free position goals, the second of the two coming with 13:19 to play.

Jones scored her final two goals of the game, just over a minute apart from each other. Her first of her final two tallies came on a free position shot with 4:47 to go while her last was off an assist from sophomore Sarah Woods (East Lyme, Conn.) with 3:34 to play.

Emerson won the ensuing draw control off Jones' final goal and after maintaining possession for just over a minute of action, junior Chelsea Phillips (Waterford, Conn.) scored the game-winner with 2:22 to play.

The two teams traded turnovers in the final two minutes, but Emerson's freshman goalie Victoria Kanaris (Haworth, N.J.) stopped junior Grace Kelly's (Auburn, N.Y.)  final shot as time expired to give Emerson the 13-12 victory.

Jones' seven goals marks a career high for her and ties the program's record for goals in a game.

Freshman goalie Katie Jones (Derry, N.H.) made three saves in the net while senior Josephine O'Reilly (Middletown, R.I.) suffered the loss in the net, making four stops in the second half.

Salve Regina returns to action and looks to snap a four-game losing skid when the Seahawks travel to Rhode Island College on March 28. The opening draw is set for 6 p.m.