Lacrosse offense held in check by Redlands in SCIAC final

ORANGE, Calif. – Chapman University's high-powered, conference-leading offense was limited to just five goals and the Panthers' women's lacrosse season came to an end in the SCIAC tournament final with a 10-5 loss at the University of Redlands on Saturday night. Chapman (14-6 overall, 8-5 SCIAC) was held to a season-low with just five goals, falling short in its bid for its first SCIAC tournament championship.

Redlands (15-4 overall, 11-1 SCIAC) snapped a 2-2 tie midway through the first period with four unanswered goals to lead 6-2 at halftime. Bulldogs' senior A Aimee Dewan scored a pair of goals to help give Redlands a lead it would not surrender. Dewan finished five a game-high five goals to pace the Bulldogs' attack.

Chapman tried to get back in the game with the first two goals in the second half to cut the deficit in half. Freshman M Kelsey Mackin and junior A Allie Kontny each scored goals in the first 13 minutes to make the score 6-4 in favor of Redlands.

The Panthers' defense also kept Redlands off the scoreboard for the first 16:30 of the second half, thanks in part to senior G Anjali Thota's brilliant play in net. Thota made four of her 10 saves in the second half to keep the game tight.

However, Chapman would score just once more in the contest with sophomore A Abbey Messmer scoring her second goal of the game with 5:14 left. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs netted four second-half goals to win going away 10-5.

Chapman had entered the game averaging more than 15 goals per game – tops in the SCIAC – but was held well below that on Saturday night. The Panthers were limited to just 18 shots on goal in the game, six of which were saved by Bulldogs' G Ana Martinez.

by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director

Boxscore: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/wlax/2012-13/boxscores/20130504_f9ic.xml