The lacrosse team played a close game against Pacific University on April 6, but lost 14-17.
The women opened with three goals in less than 1 minute. However, Pacific battled back, winning the game with three goals in the final 3 minutes.
“We are evenly matched with them, so every time we play them, it is a close game,” junior attacker Monique Schreiber said.
Freshman attacker Kelly Stevens scored the first goal for Pacific, bringing the Boxers to within two goals.
Linfield retaliated with a hat trick by sophomore attacker Anna Gorciak and goals from freshmen midfielders Isabelle Burke and Mariah Jones, extending the Wildcats’ lead to six.
“After we were up by six points, I expected a win,” sophomore defender Laura Ekstrom said. “I knew it would be tough, and we would have to continue playing at this caliber, but I was confident in our team.”
Pacific made a comeback just before the half, scoring five more goals and making the game 7-6.
Stevens and sophomore Monica Smith scored the seventh and eighth goals, respectively, to give Pacific a two-goal lead at the half.
The second half seemed like an even one until Pacific took the lead on freshman attacker Kaitlyn Harper’s hat-trick goal.
Schreiber said it was an upsetting loss for the ’Cats, as this was the last time they will face the Boxers this season.
“We had some moments where we let them get ahead, and it was hard to catch up,” Gorciak said,
The team, however, is moving on quickly.
“We are now focusing on the last two games of the season and working toward getting two more wins on the board,” Ekstrom said.
The Wildcats will host their last home game at noon on April 10 against Pomona-Pitzer College.
Corrina Crocker
Features reporter Corrina Crocker can be reached at [email protected]