VILLANOVA, Pa. – After trailing by three goals through the first period of action, Villanova could not get within a closer reach, falling to Marist 10-4 0n Saturday morning at the VMI Aquatic Center.
Villanova (13-14, 3-4 MAAC) trailed by as many as seven goals in the loss to Marist (17-8, 6-0 MAAC) and was held scoreless in the second period.
Stella Byles led the team with two goals, scoring both to open the third and fourth quarters. In net, freshman goalie
Gracin Kerry made nine saves.
Marist needed less than a minute to get on the board first with Ella Baumgarten scoring. Kaylee Brard and Viktoria Orlova kept the scoring run going for the Red Foxes, netting a pair to make it a 3-0 game. Kerry saved a shot that came her way, but Shinae Carrington grabbed the quick rebound and sent it into the back of the net to extend the run, 4-0. With less than two minutes remaining in the first period,
Adrienne Grimes sent a look inside to
Ella Mattocks, who had a defender at her back. The freshman made an around-the-back attempt that she got past Marist's goalie In
s Sánchez, cutting the deficit to 4-1. Mattocks had another chance at a similar goal late in the period, but it was stopped by Sanchez. Kerry also saw another shot come her way before the horn sounded for the period, but she recovered it, keeping Marist's lead at three through the first.
Villanova started the second with a 3-2 shot advantage, but Marist was the first to find the back of the net with Orlova getting her group's lead back out to four at 5-1 at the 3:30 mark. A Villanova turnover later on put possession back in the Red Foxes' favor. Paige Neale took the advantage, making it a 6-1 game with under a minute to play.
Lauren Picard sent a shot as time expired, but it was stopped by Sánchez.
Both teams made 13 shot attempts in the first period. Neither could capitalize on powerplay chances, combining for a 0-5 effort.
Early in the third, a Villanova attempt hit off the post, but Byles was close by for a cheeky rebound that the junior pushed in right at the left post, getting Villanova within four at 6-2. Marist answered with three goals, one from Liana Hunt and two from Baumgarten for a team-leading hat trick, growing its lead to 9-2 with nearly two minutes to play in the period.
Hunt was whistled with an exclusion, giving Villanova an extra attacker. Hansen tossed a pass to Byles that she sent sailing into the back of the net, putting Villanova within six at 9-3 with 6:41 remaining. Just 20 seconds later, Marist answered with a goal from Lela McCarroll, putting the Red Foxes lead back to seven, 10-3. McKenzie found another scoring chance with nearly three minutes to play. With a defender covering, the sophomore sent a chance in from close to the mouth of the net, getting it past goalie Zoë Seaboch and shaving Marist's lead to 10-4. Both teams sent five shots down the stretch to close the game, but nothing fell.
Villanova is back in the pool at 2:40 to take on Iona.
