Hat tricks from Leite and Keever extend streaks; Crusaders fall to Puget Sound Saturday
IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas women's lacrosse team fell 14-8 in the home matchup against University of Puget Sound on Saturday. After opening the campaign at Puget Sound this season, the Crusaders (2-8) dropped the rematch. UD's top two scorers, Lexi Leite (Houston, Texas) and Erika Keever (Fort Worth, Texas) netted hat tricks, and Lizz Winkler (St. Charles) matched 16 saves in the previous meeting at Tacoma. It was not enough to contain the Loggers (4-2) from winning their second straight contest in as many days at Crusader Field.
NOTABLE STATISTICS
(Individual Notes)
- Keever dialed her second hat trick in a row during this homestand and now has 20 on the campaign. She has scored in eight straight matches.
- Leite continued her scoring streak of every match for 17 in a row dating back to 2016.
- Gwen Mohler (San Francisco, Calif.) posted a goal and the team's lone assist.
- Winkler tied a personal best in saves from the season opener and eclipsed 100 for her career in her rookie campaign (106).
- Keever (4) and Leite (3) combined for seven-of-13 draw controls. Katie Crnkovich (Walnut Creek, Calif.) added three.
- Christiane Flynn (Seattle, Wash.) garnered a team-high four groundballs.
-Two players for the Loggers matched game-highs in goals with three apiece. Ella Frazer and Roxanne Krietzman nabbed the hat tricks.
- Krietzman dished an assist to tie Megan Bacher with the most individual points in the match (4). Bacher recorded a pair of goals and assists.
- Ally Benko earned the win in the goalkeeper position with 10 saves against 18 faced.
(Team Notes)
- Dallas won the draw 13-10, including 9-5 in the first half.
- Winkler notched 10 saves during the opening 30 minutes compared to three by her counterpart. In the second stanza, UPS edged in saves 7-6.
- The Loggers attempted 10 more shots (32-22) and secured more groundballs (27-19).
- Dallas was 0-for-4 on free position shots compared to 6-for-11 for the opposition.
- Turnovers narrowly favored Puget Sound 29-28 on fewer commits.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Loggers obtained the early advantage and never trailed throughout the match. Krietzman sent in the first goal of the match after the Dallas defense had played strong through almost three minutes. Frazer doubled the lead as Bacher passed on the assist with 22:02 in the frame. UD's Keever got her team on the board a little beyond a minute later. Puget Sound's Bacher responded quickly with a goal, and Leite answered back to make it 3-2 at 17:02.
That was the closest the margin got, as the Loggers pulled back out on back-to-back scores from Elizabeth Ward. She was the other multi-scoring player in the match.
Dallas would get within two (5-3) with about five and a half minutes before the break on Leite's second goal. The visitors then rattled a trio of unanswered goals over the next three minutes to make it 8-3. Keever mustered a pair of goals in a row to garner her 3rd hat trick of the season in the final 1:10.
Down three out of the break, the Loggers scored the first two goals and carried the momentum most of the second half. Even though Dallas was only outshot by two (14-12) in the last 30 minutes, the Loggers had seven stops and never let their opponent within four.
Leite got that goal to make it 10-6 just past five minutes in and clinched her 7th hat trick. She has 13 points from 10 scoring plays in the two matches this week.
Puget Sound went up 14-6 by tallying a 4-0 run over most of the half. Julia Shinkle (Ewing, N.J.) and Mohler wrapped out the scoring on the Dallas side of the board.
UP NEXT
Dallas concludes its home portion of 2017 with senior day on March 28 versus Pacific University. Prior to the 4 p.m. match, Mohler and Holly Tonry (Seattle, Wash.) will be recognized.