GREENVILLE, S.C. – Old Dominion lacrosse fell to Furman 8-7 in a close Atlantic conference game Friday night in Greenville, S.C. Connor Carson led the ODU attack with four goals moving her season total to 24. The Lady Monarchs fall to 5-5, 1-2, while Furman improves to 7-4, 3-1. ODU plays at Coastal Carolina on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Carson scored back-to-back goals to tie the game at seven all with less than five minutes to play (4:42). Despite forcing two Furman team turnovers, due to expired shot clocks, the ODU defense let the game-winning Furman goal in with 3:46 remaining off the unassisted Ashley Trice shot.
Maggi Buckley collected 10 saves in the first half while Carson led in draws with three. Buckley finished the game with 15 saves moving her career total to 405 saves. Carson had a team-high nine shots, scoring four goals and retrieved five draw controls.
Natalie Ledwitz and Katie Miller had three ground balls each, while Kerri Caruso and Buckley tallied the only two forced turnovers.
Carson started the scoring with back-to-back goals giving the Lady Monarchs a 2-0 lead with 24:12 to play in the first half. The Paladins scored four unanswered to take a 4-2 lead before Megan Cameron scored to pull ODU within one 4-3.
Furman closed out the final 11 minutes of the first half scoring two goals to ODU’s one. Megan Topper recorded the fourth goal for the Lady Monarchs as the team headed into half time trailing 6-4.
Topper scored her second goal of the game and first of the second half to pull the Lady Monarchs within one, 6-5. The Paladins pushed the lead back to two on a goal from Abby Shields with 16:19 remaining.
Carson’s two goals to tie the game gave life to the Lady Monarchs but Furman’s Trice scored to give the Paladins the win. ODU led the second half in shots 19-11 and ground balls 13-9 as well as going a perfect 11-11 in clears in the finale 30 minutes.
The Lady Monarchs return to action on Sunday as they travel to Coastal Carolina for the second of two ASUN conference road games. Game time is 1 p.m. at Brookes Stadium in Conway, South Carolina.
For all things ODU Women’s Lacrosse like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@ODULacrosse) and Instagram (@odu_lacrosse)! Go Monarchs!