NORFOLK, Va. – A 5-0 scoring run to start the game by East Carolina proved to be the difference as the Old Dominion women's lacrosse team lost 12-9 at home in the American Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
The Pirates (3-4, 1-0 American) needed only 42 seconds to score and led wire-to-wire. Nicole LeGar netted two early goals for ECU, and Camryn Pennypacker punctuated the run with her tally at the 23:08 mark.
The Monarchs (2-6, 0-1) broke through with 21:52 left in the first in the form of a Lindsay Baer goal and proceeded to outscore ECU 6-4 across the remainder of the half. Lilly Siskind set up Corrinne Stratton at the 16:55 mark then scored 3:24 later to make the score 6-3.
A Preseason All-Conference honoree, Siskind led the Monarchs with two goals, two assists and four points.
After two goals from the Pirates, Siskind netted her second of the game with the assist going to Danielle Dundas to make it an 8-4 game. Pennypacker scored ECU's final goal of the half with 3:38 on the clock before the Monarchs got scores from Maddie Mullenbach and Baer to make the margin 9-6 at the intermission.
Baer scored twice in her fourth multi-goal outing in the past five games. The junior from Abington, Pennsylvania now has 10 goals on the season, which is second-best on the team.
The two sides played to a draw in a low-scoring second half. Haley O'Connor scored with 26:39 left in the half – ODU's third-straight dating back to the first half. Neither team scored again until the 12:31 mark, when O'Connor notched her second goal of the game to pull the Monarchs to within one, 9-8.
LeGar snapped a scoring drought of 18:29 spanning both halves when she found the back of the net with 11:31 remaining to put the Pirates up two. LeGar's fourth marker of the game sparked a 3-0 scoring run for ECU that extended its lead to 12-8 with 5:20 remaining.
Ali Mills set up Dundas with 3:09 left on the clock to produce the final margin. Dundas finished the game with one goal, two assists, three points and four draw controls.
Lauren Carey led the Monarchs with four ground balls to match her career high and caused one turnover. Brooke Ferringer had a personal-best three draw controls.
LeGar and Megan Tryniski shared the game high with five points. Tryniski had a hat trick with two assists.
Ashley Vernon made nine saves in a winning effort. Jenna Peccia stopped 10 shots across 42:32 between the posts.
The two sides play again at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Women’s Lacrosse Drops AAC Opener to East Carolina, 12-9
