Upset-minded Hens grasp victory against No. 11 Loyola, win 10-9

Despite losing a three-goal lead late in the second half, junior attacker Abbie Hartman got the Delaware women’s lacrosse team the victory against No. 11 Loyola University, 10-9, on Wednesday night at Delaware Stadium to go 4-3 overall.

The Hens have not beaten a team ranked as high as Loyola since 2001. Head coach Kateri Linville said she was pleased with the victory.

“I think we can compete with anyone in the country and win,” Linville said. “I guess one thing I would say is my philosophy is you have to play to beat the best. I think this is the first time we beat a ranked opponent since 2009.”

The Hens came into this matchup with a .500 record, having lost to Rutgers, 7-4, on Mar. 9. Sophomore midfielder Caitlin McCartney came back from her injury to start the game. Delaware dominated the game early, winning the opening faceoff and claiming the first goal at the 17:00 mark, thanks to freshman attacker McKenzie Rafferty.

It was another 10 minutes before the Greyhounds answered, tying the game on a shot by attacker Joanna Dalton. Ten seconds later, Rafferty scored again to give Delaware the 2-1 lead. However, Loyola scored two goals in the next five minutes to grab the 3-2 lead.

As the sun began to set behind the grandstands, a showdown was occurring on the field. Delaware scored to tie the game at three when Hartman scored with 9:43 left in the half on a pass from behind the net, and the Hens controlled the ball for the remainder of the half.

Loyola could have taken the lead into halftime if not for sophomore goalie Alex Zaugra, who saved six shots during the period. Zaugra said Loyola was good on attack, but the Hens’ defense was ready.

“I think they have a very solid attack,” Zaugra said. “I think our defense was just really prepared today. We went over their looks and mastered their shots they were going to take by practicing.”

The Hens opened the second half strong, with Hartman winning the opening faceoff. Delaware went down the field and stayed in front of Loyola’s goal, taking two shots that were close, with one being saved by Loyola goalie Natalia Angelo and the other bouncing off the post.  The Hens recorded 14 shots during the second half. Freshman attacker/midfielder Kara Dattellas scored the opening goal of the half for the team on a free position shot from the left-hand side.

The Hens went up by two a minute later, due to the efforts of junior attacker Chelsea Fay. Fay would score again on a man up free position goal after Loyola midfielder Taryn VanThof was penalized for a shot to the head with 24:16 to go, earning a yellow card.

Loyola then scored to close the gap to two, thanks to attacker Annie Thomas. Dattellas responded for Delaware, but Loyola recorded the next two goals to bring the score to 7-6. Midway through the half, sophomore attacker Allison Hahn scored on a shot from the right side, but the game looked to go either way, as possession see-sawed between the two teams.

Linville said the team has had to work on playing better in tight situations.

“I think overall this year, our ability to execute under pressure with the ball at our feet has been a challenge for us,” she said. “And we’ll continue to focus on our skills and team play so that we can continue to improve.”

In the space of two minutes, Loyola scored three goals to go up 9-8. However, the Hens did not bow under pressure, winning the next faceoff and holding control of the ball in Loyola’s zone. The Hens pressured the Greyhounds, leading to Rafferty getting a hat trick to tie the game.

Rafferty said she maneuvered around her marker to score.

“I was outside on the left elbow and I dodged my girl to the left,” Rafferty said. “ She actually fell over because she stumbled backwards and I took it right, went inside and shot sidearm into the upper right corner.”

On Saturday, Delaware won at Lafayette, 19-7. Hahn scored five goals, while Rafferty had another hat trick.

With the CAA season set to begin for the Hens on Mar. 31 against Towson at home, Linville said the win against Loyola shows how good the program is.

“I think this is a big victory for us,” she said. “We know we’re good in the locker room and in our training sessions, but this gives us credibility at a national level, which has been a goal for us.”