RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The UW-River Falls women's lacrosse team prevailed after an early 4-1 deficit, securing the 17-10 victory over the Eagles in the 2nd Annual Bird Bowl on Wednesday evening. The contest also served to highlight LaCROSSe Out Cancer, bringing awareness and additional support for pediatric cancer research.
The Eagles struck first and controlled much of the opening quarter, building a 5-2 lead after the first 15 minutes. The Falcons responded in a big way in the second quarter, flipping the momentum with a 7-1 run to take a 9-6 advantage into halftime.
River Falls continued to build on their first half momentum, outscoring the Eagles 5-0 to extend the lead to 14-6 after the third and firmly take control of the contest. Despite a late push from UW-La Crosse in the fourth, the Falcons maintained their cushion to close out the 17-10 win.
The Falcons showcased a balanced offensive attack with six different goal scorers.
Samantha Hayek and
Avery Watzke led the way with four goals apiece, Hayek added three assists for a game-high seven points.
Murphi Specht and
Elizabeth Clough each recorded hat tricks, while
Macy Patton added two goals.
Defensively, River Falls limited UW-La Crosse to just one goal over the second and third quarters combined, a definitive stretch that shifted the game. The Falcons controlled possession with advantages in ground balls (20-13) and draw controls (15-14), while forcing 24 Eagle turnovers.
In goal,
Annelise Rommeck earned the win with four saves, helping anchor the Falcons during key moments of the comeback.
With the victory, UW-River Falls improves to 10-2 overall and remains unbeaten in conference play at 3-0.
