WINCHESTER, Va. – A furious Shenandoah University comeback ended just inches from success Tuesday night in the Hornets 7-6 ODAC women's lacrosse loss to Roanoke.
Trailing 7-3 to the Maroons (1-9, 1-1 ODAC) with 12:30 remaining, Shenandoah (2-6, 0-1) began a comeback that ended with a shot just wide of the goal as time expired.
Junior Annie McCorry got the comeback started with a free position goal at 9:29. After Jordyn Miller scored unassisted at 7:45, SU was halfway to its goal of bringing the game back to even.
McCorry cut that deficit in half with another free position goal, this one with 14 seconds remaining.
Following a timeout, Jen Northam won the ensuing draw and brought the ball into the attacking zone, where she found classmate Abby Zorrilla cutting across the front of the goal from six yards out. Just before time expired, Zorrilla's game-tying attempt missed just wide to the left and Roanoke had its initial victory of the season.
The first half was a defensive battle as the game was knotted at 1-1 until Allison Beames scored unassisted for the Maroons with 91 seconds remaining in the stanza.
This goal, one of four on the evening for Beames, started a five-goal run for Roanoke that gave the visitors a 6-1 lead with 20:10 remaining.
Jacque Hemler and Brittany Arndt scored at 18:55 and 14:36 to cut Roanoke's lead to three before Beames tallied her final goal of the night at 12:30.
This set the stage for the Shenandoah comeback.
RC outshot the Hornets 18-17 and had an 8-7 advantage in draw controls. SU scooped up 22 of the game's 37 groundballs.
Madeleine Card had six saves for the hosts.
Shenandoah takes to the road this weekend for a Saturday ODAC contest at Virginia Wesleyan. Opening draw is set for noon.
###