Lehigh women’s lacrosse falls to Loyola at home 10-6

The Mountain Hawks had the opportunity to prove themselves against a tough opposition on their home field Saturday in a game against the reigning Patriot League champions Loyola University (Maryland).

The Lehigh women’s lacrosse team suffered a tough 10-6 loss against the No. 16 Greyhounds, pushing the Hawks to a 3-5 record.

Lehigh put up a strong fight against Loyola, continuously scoring goals until the last few minutes of the game. However, Loyola’s strong team effort was seen in both their offensive and defensive accomplishments this game, and they improved to 3-0 in the conference.

The field conditions were good considering the unexpected spring snowstorm on Friday. The game time temperature was cold, but both the teams and the fans were able to brave the frigid wind.

Loyola started off with an early lead in the game, scoring two goals within the first five minutes. This early momentum for the Greyhounds proved to be essential as the game proceeded.

Loyola’s Taryn VanThof led the team to victory, scoring four goals, the most out of any player in the game.

“We took on this team to the best of our abilities,” Lehigh’s sophomore goalie Taylor Tvedt said. “We really had no doubt in our mind that we could compete with them, so we did a good job coming out strong.”

Lehigh freshman attack/midfielder Kierstyn Voiro and senior attack Carli Sukonik also played well offensively despite the loss, scoring two goals each in the game. Another strong performer for Lehigh was Kendall Garden, who had one goal and one assist. Lehigh’s goalie Taylor Tvedt had a total of eight saves in the game.

“We played hard,” coach Jill Redfern said. “I think we executed things that we wanted to a little better than we had in the last couple games. I thought we had a good defensive effort, but at the end of the day, we didn’t score as many as they did, which is the ultimate goal.”

This loss leaves the Mountain Hawks in sixth place in the Patriot League with an overall record of 3-5 and a conference record of 1-2.

Despite the Lehigh loss, the team remains optimistic about the game and the remainder of the season.

“It just shows how much potential we have,” senior defender Michelle Abramczyk said. “We’re definitely disappointed with the outcome, but I think we gave it our full effort.”

Taylor Tvedt also felt strongly about Lehigh’s efforts. She said that although Loyola is the better team, the Hawks competed well and were prepared.

The team will be very busy in the next five days, when they will be playing three games. Lehigh will face off next against 2-8 Bucknell University on March 24 at Bucknell’s home field in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

“We beat them in the past, so we’re ready to come out strong,” Tvedt said.