Pitt lacrosse (1-1, 0-0 ACC) traveled to Tempe, Arizona (3-0, 0-0 PAC) to take on the Sun Devils in their second game of the season. The Panthers lost to the Sun Devils with a final score of 18-11. Arizona State had stronger offensive efforts, better free position shots and an overall stronger defense at the 12-meter fan.
The first quarter consisted of both teams scoring from the 8-meter arc due to fouls. The first 4 goals scored were off of fouls.
With a free position goal, junior attacker Anna Thornton struck first, and Arizona State took the early lead at 1-0.
Right away, Pitt came back to tie the score. Junior attacker Sydney Naylor capitalized on her free position shot due to a charge on the Sun Devils. First-year attacker Paige Telatovich had a free shot as well, to put Pitt in an early lead of one score.
Arizona State junior midfielder Mina Scott drew shooting space on Pitt and got the free position shot to tie the game. Another free position chance by graduate student attacker Shannan Urey gave the Sun Devils a one-score lead.
To extend the Sun Devils lead by two, midfielder graduate student Katie Haley scored the first goal that wasn’t as a result of a free position shot. Then Thornton scored her second goal of the quarter. Another quick goal from sophomore attacker Teagan Ng gave the Sun Devils a 6-2 advantage.
With two seconds left in the quarter, Pitt persisted and junior attacker Ava Washington scored from a free position shot which cut the Panthers’ deficit to 3.
A quick draw control began the second quarter. Arizona State grabbed momentum right back and scored 30 seconds into the quarter. Urey scored her second goal of the game.
Arizona State capitalized when man-up to make a second goal in the second quarter. With great passing and finding players in the middle, the Sun Devils made the score 8-3 with a goal from junior midfielder Berit Brookefield.
Arizona State continued to punish the Panthers. Sophomore attacker Lydia Oldknow scored off of a low shot. Off a crease roll, Thronton scored her third goal of the game. Urey scored once again off of a free-position goal.
Finally, Pitt scored a goal in the second quarter. First-year attacker Avery Moon scored a goal that was desperately needed, but the Panthers still went into halftime trailing 11-4.
The third quarter began with an Arizona State free position shot. But unlike the first half, the Panthers got a stop.
The Panthers built more opportunities for themselves with more shots on goals, more draw controls and a stronger defensive approach in the second half.
Pitt came out hot and scored the first two goals of the quarter. Washington scored her second goal and First-year midfielder Kaitlyn Giandonato scored the second goal of the quarter.
Arizona State answered Pitt’s aggressive approach. Ng made the first Sun Devils’ goal of the half and Brookefield followed Ng up with one of her own.
Yet, Pitt persisted and didn’t let the Sun Devils repeat what they did in the first half. A mostly back-and-forth third quarter followed the initial goals.
Pitt junior attacker Jenna Hendrickson scored the next goal off of a free position. Naylor scored the final point of the quarter with just 39 seconds left in the quarter, which gave Pitt some momentum going into the final quarter of the game. The third quarter ended with a score of 13-8, Arizona State.
The fourth quarter saw the Sun Devils increase their lead. Hendrikson scored for Pitt. For Arizona State, Hailey scored her second goal of the game off of a free position shot and Thronton scored to extend the Sun Devils’ lead to 16-9.
Pitt came back again to cut the lead down. Senior midfielder Emily Coughlin scored for Pitt. Telatovich scored the next goal, which cut the Sun Devils’ lead to five.
With only three minutes left in the game, there wasn’t enough time for Pitt to come back. The Sun Devils scored two more goals to end the quarter, which made the final score 18-11.
Next, Pitt lacrosse will face in-state rival Penn State on Tuesday at 4 p.m.