AVE MARIA, Fla. — The Ave Maria Lacrosse team zoomed out to a four-goal lead in the first quarter Tuesday night and then tried to sit back and protect the lead. Unfortunately for the Gyrenes, the NCAA Division III Kean Cougars had other plans as they took the lead late in the fourth quarter to beat the Gyrenes 6-5.
The inter-association match started off in the best possible way for the Gyrenes as they raced out to a 4-0 lead in the opening frame. Anna Bocchino got the scoring started on the first offensive possession for the Gyrenes, connecting on a free position shot.
Ave Maria won the following draw which led to another free position shot for Ave Maria. This time it was Alex Mazurczak at the 8-meter arc, and she beat the goalie top shelf to double the Gyrenes' score.
Freshman Angelina Diesslin notched the next goal about five minutes later. On an Ave Maria fast break, Bocchino found Diesslin posted up right in front of the crease, who then whipped around and slid the ball past the keeper for a goal.
Ave Maria got their final strike of the frame from reigning National Player of the Week Annie Dhabliwala. The senior ran around the defense and slung a laser into the back of the net.
The Gyrenes went into the first quarter break leading 4-0. Unfortunately, they fell quiet in the final 45 minutes, logging just one more goal through the rest of the game.
The Cougars scored their first two goals in the second quarter, cutting the lead in half heading into halftime.
Ave Maria opened the third quarter with their final goal of the game. Bocchino buried a feed from Diesslin while being shoved down to put the Gyrene lead back at three goals.
Kean scored one goal in the third as well to make it 5-3.
At the start of the fourth quarter, the Cougars scored two goals in the span of one minute and 11 seconds to tie the game at five.
With 4:29 left to play, Kean took their first lead of the game with a man-advantage goal that was the result of an Ave Maria yellow card.
The Gyrenes had a few of possessions in the final four minutes of the contest, but three straight turnovers ended the game for Ave Maria.
Eleven combined goals made Tuesday the lowest scoring game in program history for the Gyrenes. The previous lowest scoring game was 13 goals March 6, 2015, the inaugural season for Ave Maria Lacrosse.
Bocchino led the team with three points off two goals and one assist. Diesslin was the only other Gyrene to log a multi-point game with a goal and an assist.
In the midfield, Dhabliwala led the team with three draw controls.
Defensively, Tuesday was one of the best performances from the Gyrenes. Haley Chapman led the team with three caused turnovers, followed by Allison Fifield with two. Fifield and Coyle tied for the most ground balls with five. Madeline Hicks also had a great game, keeping the Cougars' leading scorer off the scoresheet and limiting her to just three shots.
With the loss, Ave Maria falls to 5-2 overall. Tuesday's game completed the most congested part of the season for the Gyrenes with four games in eight days.
Ave Maria now gets a week off before returning back to the field Tuesday, March 17, when they play host to the New England Nor'easters. It will be the second ever meeting against the NCAA Division III program for the Gyrenes, having fallen in the first ever game 18-11 in 2023. The opening draw is set for 6 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on the Urban Edge Network.
