Hokie ClubEUGENE, Ore. – The Virginia Tech women’s lacrosse team hit the road for one last time this season, but the home-team University of Oregon Ducks came out on top of a 15-10 decision in a non-conference match played at Pape’ Field on Saturday afternoon. Rachel Culp (Sr., Kent, Ohio) paced the Hokie attack with three goals and an assist, while Allie Emala (So., Baltimore, Md.) and Jessica Nonn (Fr., Catonsville, Md.) added two goals and an assist and three goals respectively.
With the loss, Tech falls to 7-8 overall (1-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). The Ducks pick up their 10th win of the year and move to 10-3 overall (3-1 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) after defeating the Hokies for the second-straight season. Oregon now holds the 2-0 advantage in the series between the two squads.
The long travel didn’t appear to affect Tech early in the match as the Hokies staked a 4-1 lead in the opening 15 minutes of the game. Dylan Garner (So., Cornelius, N.C.) scored Tech’s first goal off an assist from Joanna Kiser (So., Severna Park, Md.) four minutes into the match and free position goals from Emala and Nonn completed the Hokies’ run.
However, the Ducks came storming back to close out the first half on a 6-1 run and entered the intermission with a 7-5 advantage.
Culp, Tech’s leading scorer, notched her first goal of the game 47 seconds into the second half to pull Tech within one, but the two squads proceeded to trade goals for much of the final frame and Oregon clung to a 10-8 lead with 11:14 remaining in the game.
Another Oregon goal pushed the Ducks advantage to three with a little over 10 minutes to play, but Hokie senior Culp went to work and netted two goals to cut the Duck lead to 11-10 with 4:33 left.
Yet the Hokies were unable to reclaim the lead as the Ducks reeled off four unanswered goals to close out the match with the 15-10 final score.
Culp’s three scores, all in the second half, now give her 51 goals for the season. She becomes just the second player in Hokie history to break the 50-goal mark in a single-season. Emala and Nonn were the only other Hokies with multiple goals on the afternoon, while Caitlyn Wier (So., Cockeysville, Md.) added a goal and two assists in the contest.
Tech starting keeper Kari Morrison (Sr., Springfield, Va.) made 14 saves in the 15th start of her senior campaign.
Virginia Tech will close out its regular season against Maryland on Saturday, Apr. 18, at 1 p.m. before hosting the ACC Tournament from Apr. 23-26.