Late Goal Lifts Oregon Over HPU in Women’s Lacrosse

EUGENE, Ore. — The High Point University women’s lacrosse team lost a 7-6 heartbreaker to Oregon on Saturday evening in Eugene, Oregon. The Ducks scored the game-winner with 4.8 seconds left. Junior attacker Mackenzie Carroll scored twice for the Panthers.

“Our team has been very focused and I thought we executed our game plan almost perfectly,” said HPU head coach Lyndsey Boswell. “Unfortunately we had some late opportunities that we didn’t capitalize on and luck wasn’t on our side today. I’m proud of the way our girls fought back and I think this was a step in the right direction. It was just disappointing to not get a win with this effort.”

High Point led by two goals at halftime and, when trailing 6-5, got a goal from junior Alec Perry to tie the game with 5:23 to go. After a timeout with 2:55 to go, Oregon possessed the ball the rest of the way and the Ducks’ Carly O’Connell scored in the closing seconds.

Carroll scored the first goal of the game and junior Sara Kuhlman made it 2-0 Panthers, both on assists from senior Grace Gaeng. Nikki Puszcz got Oregon on the board with 14:24 left in the first half, but HPU midfielder Jasmine Jordan scored with 7:49 to go. Jordan was fouled on her way to the cage but the goal was allowed. HPU goalie Anna Wallingford made four saves in the first half and the Panthers had a 3-1 lead at the break.

Oregon opened second-half scoring with two goals less than a minute apart, tying it at 3-3 when Shannon Propst scored with 24:34 left. The Panthers went back ahead when junior Christie Dougherty scored on a man-up opportunity with 22:47 to go.

The teams continued to trade goals before Oregon was able to take its first lead of the game. HPU took a 5-4 lead on Carroll’s second goal with 17:57 remaining before consecutive goals by Oregon’s O’Connell and Puszcz elevated the Ducks. The score remained 6-5 in favor of Oregon for over seven minutes before Perry’s score with 5:23 remaining.

It was Carroll’s third multi-point game in a row and she also had a ground ball and a caused turnover. Jordan had three draw controls and two ground balls in addition to her goal. Gaeng’s two assists came on the heels of her hat trick against American last week. Wallingford finished the game with six saves.

Oregon got two goals and two assists from both Propst and Puszcz. O’Connell also had three caused turnovers and two ground balls along with her two goals. Goalie Caroline Federighi started the game but was replaced after three minutes by Salliebeth Finnegan, who made three saves and earned the win.

High Point continues its road trip when it takes on Denver on Monday at 3 p.m. (Eastern). It will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams.