Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Doherty at Cap
Hanna Pinkelman
Doherty helped to lead the JCU offense.
17
John Carroll JCUW 13-1
18
Winner Capital CAPW 10-2
John Carroll JCUW
13-1
17
Final
18
Capital CAPW
10-2
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
John Carroll JCUW 11 6 17
Capital CAPW 8 10 18

Game Recap: Women's Lacrosse | | Luke Potosky, Staff Writer

Perfect Start Ends with Narrow Loss at Capital for Women's Lacrosse

BEXLEY, Ohio -- They say all good things must come to an end. John Carroll University Women's Lacrosse entered Capital University on a school-best 13-0 run and led all of Division III in goals. However, the Blue Streaks met their most formidable test of the season on Saturday.

On April 17, John Carroll fell to Capital, 18-17, at Bernlohr Stadium in Bexley, as they dropped to 13-1 on the year.

Early on, it was a back and forth affair. Capital got on the board first with a goal less than a minute into play. But Mary Doherty and Kendall Gessner responded to give JCU an early 2-1 lead. However, the Crusaders responded with another goal, making the game deadlocked at two apiece.

After that, Colleen Grombala countered with her 76th goal of the season to make it a 3-2 ballgame in favor of the Blue Streaks. But Capital answered right back to knot things up at 3-3.

Following the pattern of alternating goals, Olivia Hanulak returned a goal of her own to give John Carroll a 4-3 lead. After several minutes of a stalemate, the Crusaders responded to make it 4-4, tying the game once again.

Breaking the alternating goal trend, Capital scored a free position goal a couple of minutes later to give the Crusaders a 5-4 advantage. A few moments later though, Alex Heishman tied the contest once more, making it 5-5.

A couple minutes after, however, the Crusaders found the net twice more to take a 7-5 lead. After a long drought without a Blue Streak goal, Doherty broke through to cut the JCU deficit to 7-6. 

Shortly after that, Grombala found the net twice in a row to give an 8-7 lead back to the Blue Streaks. But Capital stopped the JCU three-goal rally by tying it up at 8-8.

Just moments later though, Claire Mezzoprete scored two goals off assists from Doherty and Hanulak. Then Kendall Gessner broke through to give the Blue Streaks an 11-8 lead to end the half.

After scoring three consecutive goals to end the first half, the Blue Streaks looked to carry that momentum into the last 30 minutes.

They did just that as Doherty opened the second half scoring thanks to a Hanulak assist. A little bit after, Grombala scored her fourth goal of the contest to make it 13-8. A handful of minutes later, Mezzoprete gave herself a hat trick off a free position shot to extend the John Carroll lead.

But Capital finally stalled the 6-0 JCU run with a huge rally of their own. The Crusaders rallied to score six goals in a row to make it 14-14. Grombala finally vanquished the Crusader rally with a free position goal to make it 15-14.

Capital rebounded with another goal, but Grombala struck back with another free position goal. Just seconds later, Gessner earned a hat trick and made it a 17-15 JCU advantage.

But the resilient Crusaders made the final blow as they found the net three times in a row to end the game, 18-17. The Blue Streaks had a shot in the final seconds, but it was saved by Capital.

John Carroll falls to 13-1, ending their unbeaten run to begin the 2021 season.

Leading the way for the Blue and Gold offense was Grombala (six goals), Doherty (three goals, one assist), Gessner (three goals), Mezzoprete (three goals), Hanulak (one goal, two assists), and Heishman (one goal).

Up next, John Carroll hosts 12-1 Mount Union on April 21 at 7 pm in what should be another classic of a game.
Print Friendly Version

Sponsors