West Long Branch, N.J. - Sophomore Jenn Collins (Edgewater, Md. / South River) marked a season-high five goals and five draw controls as the Robert Morris University women's lacrosse team fell to Northeast Conference opponent Monmouth, 18-7, Saturday afternoon in West Long Branch, N.J.
Sophomore Ashley Levering (Glenwood, Md. / Glenelg) scored a goal and an assist to extend her team leading point streak to 15 games while Junior Bethany Mahaffey (Edgewater, Md. / Annapolis Area Christian) also picked up a goal in the loss to extend her point streak to five games.
Both teams played a very competitive first half with the Colonials (5-8, 2-3 NEC) trailing, 6-4, at halftime. Monmouth took a quick, 2-0, lead to start the game with scores at 29:45 and 27:54. The Colonials cut the lead in half with Collins tallying her first of three goals in the half at 19:17. The Hawks wiped away the score with a marker at 18:07, pushing their advantage back to two. RMU didn't back down from the top-team in the conference, rallying after the score on a three-goal run with two-goals by Collins and a score from Mahaffey to take a 4-3 lead with 14:51 left to play. This would be only lead for RMU as Monmouth would match the Colonials run with three consecutive goals of their own to end the first half up by two.
The second half proved to be a different story as Monmouth's Megan Nutter took over the pace of the game adding seven goals as the Hawks outscored Robert Morris, 12-3, in the frame. Both teams opened up the half exchanging scores with MU's Degen tallying a goal at 28:36 and Collins adding her fourth of the game at 27:35, keeping the score within two at 7-5. This was as close as the Colonials would get though as Monmouth would take off on a scoring run that would last 16 minutes with eight goals scored. Nutter led the offense putting away five of the Hawks eight in this span.
RMU broke up the run with a goal by Ashley Levering at 7:29 followed by Collins' fifth of the game at 6:32. The back-to-back scores seemed too little too late as Monmouth finished out the game with three goals, two by Nutter with one of them coming at :04 just to add some extra insurance to the 18-7 final.
Freshmen Erica Webb (Arnold, Md. / Broadneck) and Ashley Walsh (Fairfax Station, Va. / Lake Braddock) shared time in net for the Colonials with Webb making nine saves in 46:41 while Walsh wrapped things up with three saves in 13:19.
Monmouth out-shot Robert Morris, 36-15 while holding advantages in ground balls, 17-11, and in draw controls, 17-12.
The women's lacrosse team looks to break their three-game losing skid as the team heads to Loretto, Pa. this Friday, April 13, to take on the Red Flash of Saint Francis (Pa.) in a Northeast Conference showdown. Game time is scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. tilt.
