Pioneers Unable to Hold Onto Early Lead - Steph Greenlees tallies four points on two goals and two assists

WOMEN’S LACROSSE NEWS - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, March 13, 2005

Pioneers Unable to Hold Onto Early Lead - Steph Greenlees tallies four points on two goals and two assists

TOWSON, Md. – The University of Denver women’s lacrosse team (1-5) was unable to hold onto an early two-goal lead as the No. 15 Towson University Tigers (3-0) scored four consecutive goals en route to a 13-7 win over the Pioneers this afternoon at Johnny Unitas Stadium.

Freshman Megan Carver (Baltimore, Md.), the Pioneers’ leading scorer, got Denver on the board early on a free position goal at 28:10. Teammate senior Tara Bourdelaise (Grambrills, Md.) scored just over a minute later off a pass from senior Crystal Jack (Kingwood, Texas) at 26:41 to stake Denver to a quick 2-0 lead.

But the Tigers answered with four straight goals to take a 4-2 advantage with 7:17 remaining in the first half. Amy Middleton gave Towson its first goal at 24:50 with an assist from Shannon Witzel. Middleton scored again, unassisted, at 22:06 to tie the game after taking advantage of a turnover by Denver’s goalie senior Steph Schneider (Leesburg, Va.). Witzel netted a goal of her own at 21:03 in the first half to make it 3-2 Towson.

Middleton scored her third goal of the game off a pass from Erin Cayea to make it 4-2 in favor of the Tigers before Denver’s Tanya Fuchs (Bay Shore, N.Y.) found the back of the net with 6:10 left in the first to stop Towson’s scoring barrage.

However, that was the last Pioneer goal before the break. Towson’s Kelly scored her first goal of the season at 4:57 before Middleton scored twice more, at 2:28 off a pass from Witzel and then again at 1:03 unassisted, to give the Tigers a 7-3 lead going into the break.

Towson’s Becky Trumbo started the second half with a goal at 29:02 to push the Tigers’ lead to 8-3. Denver’s Fuchs cut Towson’s lead in half when she scored off a Steph Greenlees (Lake Forest, Ill.) pass at 26:33. The Tigers’ Cayea converted a free position attempt at 25:20 before Greenlees scored for the Pioneers three minutes later to keep Denver in the game, down 9-5.

Mary Beth Ardolino scored her first goal of the season for Towson at 17:30 with an assist by Trumbo before Cayea netted her second free position goal of the game at 13:04 to put Towson up 11-5.

Tiger Erin Rinella found the back of the net for the first time in 2005 at 9:17 to give Towson an insurmountable 12-5 lead. Greenlees had a hand in Denver’s last two goals, scoring the first at 4:58 and assisting Bourdelaise at 3:46.

Towson’s Witzel capped the scoring with an unassisted goal with one second left in the game.

Middleton ended the contest with a career-high-tying five goals for Towson. Cayea and Witzel both scored two, while goalkeeper Mandy Corry made eight saves for the Tigers.

Greenlees, Bourdelaise, and Fuchs each scored two goals for the Pioneers, and senior keeper Schneider made nine saves for Denver.

Denver will return to action tomorrow when they battle No. 7 Maryland in College Park at 2 p.m. MT.

- www.DenverPioneers.com -