By Harry Minium
NORFOLK, Va. – A fourth period Old Dominion rally came up just short as the Monarchs fell to VCU, 12-10, in their lacrosse home opener Saturday night at the L.R. Hill Sports Complex.
Natalie Calandra-Ryan, a graduate transfer from Pitt, had five goals and an assist for ODU with just seven shots on goal. Four of her goals came in the second half and two in the fourth period, when the Monarchs were attempting to erase a VCU lead.
Calandra-Ryan scored early in the fourth quarter to trim a three-goal VCU lead to 11-9, and after the Rams again went up by three, she scored with 3:16 left to pull the Monarchs within two.
But the Rams held off the Monarchs, who had two turnovers in the final minutes.
ODU (1-2) was outshot, 28-17, and had 10 shots on goal to 17 for the Rams (2-2). But ODU Coach Theresa Walton said the key statistic was turnovers – ODU had 15 to VCU’s eight.
Nonetheless, she said the Monarchs played well, and well enough to win had they made fewer mistakes.
“It was tight the whole game,” she said. “And every rep mattered. And when every rep matters throughout the entire game, that can get to be exhausting for players.
“I’m really proud of the fight we showed tonight. We definitely showed our heart. Our effort was great.
“We just have to be smarter.
“(Turnovers) have been our MO. It’s still early in the season so I trust we can clean that up.”
“Our defense played their tails off tonight,” Walton added. “We made enough stops that we really should have won that game.”
ODU’s Molly Heimerl and Maria Snyder each scored two goals and Heimerl added an assist. Annalynn Pompetti added a goal and Lydia Laney had five assists.
ODU trailed at the half, 6-4, and VCU’s Kenson Epperly made it 7-4 early in the third period.
Calandra-Ryan then led an ODU comeback as the Monarchs outscored the Rams, 3-1, over a six-minute stretch. Pompetti had a goal and Calandra-Ryan two, her last a spectacular behind-the-back shot that sailed into the top left portion of the net with 6:20 left in the third quarter that knotted the score at 8-all.
Walton recruited Calandra-Ryan to Youngstown State before coming to ODU. Calandra-Ryan transferred to ODU from Pitt early last summer. She leads ODU with 11 goals in three games.
“It was a pretty goal,” Walton said. “I thought she could have taken a smarter, fundamentally sound shot.
“But you never mind when it hits the back of the net. She’s definitely a player with a lot of creativity.”
Walton said her team continues to make progress.
“Tonight, that’s the best we’ve played so far this season,” she said. “But it’s not the best we can play.”
ODU hosts Gardner-Webb Wednesday at 4 p.m. and Rider Saturday at noon before ending its current four game home stand by hosting Furman on Friday, March 6.
Minium is ODU's Senior Executive Writer for Athletics. Contact him at hminium@odu.edu or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
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