Early 4-1 Lead Doesn’t Hold, as JU Women Fall 11-6 to Towson; Boyle’s 2G/1A, Goalies Combine for 11 Saves, Marshall’s 6G Lead Tigers
via JU press release/website, by Nieja Jordan
Dolphins Fall Short in Non-Conference Play Against Towson
TOWSON, Md. – After commanding the first quarter, The Jacksonville Dolphins (3-7, 1-0) fell on the road against Towson University (4-5, 2-1), 11-6, Thursday afternoon at Tiger Field.
SCORING LEADERS
GOALS: Mackenzie Boyle (2)
GROUND BALLS: Kaila Stasulli (4), Brynn Hoffman (2), Maggie Cuddy (5)
DRAW CONTROLS: Kaila Stasulli (3), Abby Moran (3), Maggie Cuddy (3)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Despite a dominating start for JU in the first 15 minutes of the game, Towson rallied back, outscoring the green and white 10-3 for the following three quarters.
To ignite the Dolphin offense, a ground ball picked up by Brynn Hoffman eventually found the Georgia native Allyx Berry, who found the back of the net just five minutes into play to put JU up 1-0. Feeding off the high-paced offense, Brigid Manning ripped a shot at the Tigers’ goalie that was saved. However, the Dolphin offense, staying persistent, recovered the ball, leading to a shot and goal by sophomore Ainsley Scruggs, assisted by Hudson Gentile. With 7:33 to play in the quarter, the Dolphins held a solid 2-0 lead. JU’s defense held off the Tigers’ offense until around the two-minute mark when the home team scored their first goal of the night. Undiscouraged, the Dolphins quickly responded with their third goal courtesy of Brianna Samuels, assisted by Mackenzie Boyle.
The second quarter initially favored the Dolphins as the Samuels and Boyle duo struck again, only this time with an assist from Samuels to Boyle, converting JU’s celebration to a 4-1 lead with 13:53 to go in the second. The Dolphins struggled to continue converting offensively, while the Tigers began to find their groove on home turf. Towson surged forward with eight unanswered goals, which was broken by Boyle, marking her second goal of the night and bringing the score to 9-5 in Towson’s advantage with 11 minutes to play in the game. Jessica Giller soon added to the Dolphin tally on a free position shot, but it was the last of the Dolphins’ points, falling on the road 11-6.
UP NEXT
The Dolphins will stay in Towson, Md., to take on Ivy League opponent, Cornell. The game is set for Saturday, March 30, and will face off at 12 p.m.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
The Dolphins’ keepers won the save battle 11-to-8
JU outperformed Towson in draw controls 10-8
