AVE MARIA, Fla. — The Ave Maria Lacrosse team was back in action Friday afternoon in a top-10 matchup against the No. 3 University of the Cumberlands. The Gyrenes hung in with the Patriots for the first half of the game, but the third ranked team in the country proved to be too much as AMU lost 13-6.
Alexandra Mazurczak netted the first goal of the game 22 seconds in, giving the Gyrenes their only lead of the afternoon. After cutting in right in front of the goal, the junior received a pass from freshman Maura Barnes and surprised the Patriots goalie with a top shelf shot to make the game 1-0.
Cumberlands responded with the next two goals to take the lead. Ave Maria worked two more ties in the first quarter but never got back in front of the Patriots.
Mazurczak got her second goal of the game off a feed from Sophie Paige to tie the game at two. After another Cumberlands goal, Ave Maria scored one more time in the opening frame with a man-advantage goal from Annie Dhabliwala. Freshman Angelina Diesslin got the assist on Dhabliwala's goal.
It looked the opening quarter was going to end in a tie, but Cumberlands found the back of the net with 12 seconds remaining in the frame to take a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the game.
The score remained locked at 4-3 for almost the first 13 minutes of the second quarter and both defenses toughened up against each other. The Patriots opened the scoring in the frame with just two minutes and four seconds remaining in the half. UC added one more goal just inside the final minute to take a three goal lead.
With time winding down in the half, the Gyrenes made one last rush and found the back of the net as Mazurczak recorded her third goal of the half. The strike brought the deficit down to two at the break.
Ave Maria got two more goals in the third quarter, but both were after Patriots goals as the margin never went below two in the second half. Dhabliwala scored both goals unassisted in the quarter.
In the final minute, Cumberlands found the back of the net twice to take a 10-6 lead heading into the last quarter.
The Gyrenes were kept off the board in the fourth quarter while Cumberlands added three more goals before the final blow of the air horn.
Dhabliwala led the team with four points off three goals and one assist. Mazurczak was right behind her with three points, all from goals.
In net, sophomore Francesca Pieniadz made a career-high 11 saves against 24 shots on goal for a save percentage of .458.
Defensively, Alison Fifield and Barnes led the team with three caused turnovers. Fifield and Pieniadz also led the team in ground balls with six.
In the midfield, Haley Chapman led the team with six draw controls.
As a team, the Gyrenes won 13 of the 21 draw controls against Cumberlands and had a better clear percentage at .947 compared to .857.
With the loss, Ave Maria falls to 1-1 on the season.
The Gyrenes are back in action Wednesday, February 25, as the St. Thomas Bobcats come town. Wednesday will be a preview of a Sun Conference matchup, but it will not count as a league game for either team. Opening draw is set for 6 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on the Urban Edge Network.
