ANGOLA, Ind. – In an evenly contested bout between the Trine University women's lacrosse team and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugolds, the Thunder came up short 16-14 on Wednesday afternoon. The largest lead of the game for either side was three as the teams traded the lead 11 times in the game.
The loss drops Trine to 4-2 overall in the 2024 season while Eau Claire advances to 5-1 overall. The draw control circle was key for the visiting Blugolds as they would win 23-11. That led to a 36-26 difference in shots. The teams were even after collecting 17 groundballs each.
After the first quarter, Eau Claire led 4-3. All three goals scored by the Thunder were from different sources in Danielle Gargiulo, Calista Richmond and Elizabeth Larson. Brooke Hoag would net the first two goals for the team in the second quarter, including the second while a man up.
The Blugolds were up 8-6 with 7:17 remaining in the period, but the final three goals for Trine came in the last three minutes to take a 9-8 halftime lead. Courtney Rhodes cashed in on a free position attempt followed by Hoag scoring while up a man and Richmond doing the same with three seconds left in the half.
Alyssa Lahutsky found Nikki Hibler inside for a score to put the team ahead 13-10 in the third quarter, the largest lead of the day. Eau Claire would not go quietly, however, as they would net two in the closing minutes of the period to go into the fourth down just one at 13-12.
Two more to begin the fourth put the scoreboard at 14-13 in favor of the visiting team, but Larson put one past the goalkeeper to tie the game at 14 with 9:25 on the clock. The Blugolds would secure the final two goals of the game to sneak away with the 16-14 victory at Shive Field.
Richmond paced the offense with four goals and four assists on the day. Gargiulo and Hoag had three goals apiece. The goalkeeper Maddy Kasten (4-2) was credited with a team-high six groundballs and made a season-high 13 saves. Larson led the team with four draw controls.
The homestand continues for the Thunder on Saturday, March 23 at 1 p.m. Wittenberg University will make the trip to Angola, Indiana for a non-conference battle.