High Point Women’s Lacrosse Drops 13-11 Contest To Vermont

• HPU held a 7-4 scoring advantage in the second half but could not erase a 9-4 halftime deficit
• Junior midfielder Leah Pace led the Panthers with a career-high four points (3g, 1a) and three draw controls
• Junior midfielder Emily Meier added two goals and two assists

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University women’s lacrosse team held a 7-4 second half advantage but could not power past Vermont, falling to the visiting Catamounts, 13-11, on Wednesday inside Vert Stadium.

HPU trailed 9-4 at the break, but used a 5-1 run to cut the Catamount lead to one (10-9) midway through the second half. HPU was within one (12-11) with under eight minutes to play, but could not move any closer for the remainder of the game.

“We’re a young team that’s trying to find its identity. We’re struggling right now but I thought it was really good to see a fight in the entire team tonight,” head coach Lyndsey Boswell said. “We had some shot opportunities that hit the pipe that could’ve made a difference in the game.”

HPU held advantages in shots (30-25), shots on goal (23-20), ground balls (16-13) and draw controls (16-11), but Vermont held a 12-7 edge in saves and forced 12 HPU turnovers.

Junior Leah Pace led High Point with a career-high four points on three goals and an assist and registered a personal best three draw controls on the day. Senior attack Kendyl Gardner added three goals and picked up two ground balls while junior Emily Meier posted four points (2g, 2a) and caused two turnovers on the day.

Erica Perrotta notched two goals, caused two turnovers and picked up three draw controls in another solid outing for the freshman, while junior Allie Foard distributed a career-best three assists for HPU.

Senior goalkeeper Julia Burns made seven saves in the cage in a full 60 minutes of action.

Pace put the Panthers on the board first at the 28:19 mark before back-to-back goals from the Catamounts gave UVM a 2-1 lead with 27:16 to play in the first half. Pace tallied her second off a good feed from Foard just 30 seconds later to tie the score at 2-2.

After a Catamount score, back-to-back goals from Gardner and junior Kristina Renner put HPU up 4-3 at the 15:42 mark of the half. But Vermont would close the first half on a pivotal 6-0 run to take a 9-4 lead into the break.

The Panthers came out of halftime with a purpose, as goals from Gardner and Pace moved HPU within three (9-6) with 26:43 to play in the game. A score from Perrotta capped a 3-0 Panther run and moved the Purple & White within two (9-7), but Jessica Roach scored for the Catamounts at the 16:29 mark of the half to put UVM back up three at 10-7.

Perrotta tallied her second of the night off a nifty pass from Pace to cut the Vermont lead to two (10-8) and Meier’s second goal of the day moved HPU within one (10-9) with 14:54 to play in the game.

Back-to-back goals from Vermont put the Catamounts back up three (12-9) with 10:46 to go in the game. The Panthers answered the run with back-to-back goals from Brown and Gardner to move back within one (12-11) with 7:34 to play. But Roach stopped the HPU charge with a goal at the 3:42 mark and the Panthers could not move any closer for the remainder of the game.

High Point returns to action next Wednesday (March 11) when the Panthers travel to Burlington, N.C. to take on Elon. First draw is scheduled for 6 p.m.