University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
9-5, 5-3BIG EAST
Villanova University
6-8, 4-4BIG EAST
Huskies Beaten in OT at Villanova
4/18/2021 2:41:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
VILLANOVA, Pa. – The Villanova women's lacrosse team came back from down two-goals in the final minutes to force overtime with UConn and Brittany Bruno scored the game-winner with 1:26 left to deliver the Huskies a 13-12 loss on Sunday afternoon.
The Huskies split the weekend series with the Wildcats and are 5-3 in the BIG EAST and 9-5 overall. The weekend split along with Denver's sweep over Marquette did clinch UConn a spot in the upcoming BIG EAST tournament, returning the Huskies to the postseason for the first time since the 2016 season.
UConn junior Grace Coon (Marcellus, N.Y.) led all Huskies with four goals and an assist in the loss and finished the weekend with 10 total goals. Senior Stephanie Palmucci (Herndon, Va.) scored three goals with an assist and junior Lia LaPrise (Windsor, Conn.) tallied two goals with two helpers.
The Huskies got off to another good start in the first half, building a 6-2 lead at the 15-minute mark as Coon scored twice during that stretch. LaPrise put UConn in front 8-3 on her second goal under the 12-minute mark but the Wildcats outscored the Huskies 3-1 the rest of the half capped by a Bruno goal with 37 seconds left to trail 9-6 at the half.
Both offenses struggled to find success in the first 10 minutes of the second half before UConn's Palmucci scored at 18:56 to make it 10-6 UConn. Villanova's Katie Comerford helped fuel the Wildcats comeback from there, scoring twice and assisting on another as they outscored the Huskies 7-2 the rest of the way.
Villanova pulled within 11-10 at 11:23 but UConn answered on Coon's fourth at 9:13 but that would be the final UConn goal on the afternoon. Comerford set-up Haley Driscoll with 1:46 left to cut the lead back to one, 12-11, she then found the tying goal with just 34 seconds left, her third of the day, to send the game to overtime.
In the extra session, the Huskies turned it over trying to clear, triggering a fast-break chance for the Wildcats. Bruno found herself all alone in front of Landyn White (Alpharetta, Ga.) and buried it for the win.
The Huskies will close out the regular season at home next weekend as they play host to Georgetown at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium on April 23 and 25.
