Firebirds Erupt for Season-High Nine Goals in Loss to Alderson-Broaddus

WASHINGTON, DC – The University of the District of Columbia women's lacrosse team scored a season-high nine goals, but the Firebirds were defeated by visiting Alderson-Broaddus University, 19-9 in non-regional action Thursday afternoon at Cooper Field.

The Battlers, a member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference and the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region, improved to 3-1 on the season with today's win while UDC fell to 1-2 overall.

Sophomore midfielder Vanessa Valentine led all UDC scorers as she netted a hat trick on four shots, and freshman midfielder Kianna Franklin, sophomore midfielder Amy Rock, and senior midfielder Aaliyah Carter each scored a pair of goals. Franklin and Rock both added an assist as well, and Carter had eight draw controls, four ground balls, and three caused turnovers – all game-highs.

Firebird freshman goalkeeper Jada Foy had a season-high 10 saves but allowed 19 goals in a complete game losing effort.

Alderson-Broaddus featured 10 different goal-scorers, including a game-high five goals by attack Jasmine Barham. The 6'1 senior, who was leading the team in scoring entering today's game with 12 points (eight goals, four assists), finished today's game with seven points on five goals and two assists. Midfielder Allison Rogers (two goals and two assists) and defender Mazzy Dick (three goals, one assist) added four points apiece as well.

Battlers goalkeeper Emily Perole stopped five of 14 shots faced as she improved to 2-0 on the season with the complete game victory.

Alderson-Broaddus out-shot UDC 34-18, committed eight fewer turnovers (25-17), and won the ground ball battle, 26-18. The Battlers were also a perfect 11-of-11 on clear attempts while holding UDC to 8-of-21 on its clears, and they converted 3-of-6 free-position shots compared to 1-of-4 by the Firebirds.

UDC, however, won three more draw controls (16-13), and committed just over half as many fouls as AB (46-24) in a whistle-heavy game that ran just shy of two hours long.

The Battlers stormed out to a 4-0 lead a little over seven minutes into the game, aided by two Barnham goals, but Rock put the Firebirds on the board with an unassisted goal at the 22:47 mark. UDC trailed 5-1 after a Hannah Goodwin goal at 16:44, but began to fight back with a 3-1 burst that brought them within two, 6-4, just before the 13-minute mark. Alderson-Broaddus would go on to score the next four goals though, and the Battlers eventually ended the half on a 7-2 run to take a 13-6 lead at intermission.

Alderson-Broaddus' momentum from the end of the first half would carry into the second as the Battlers began the closing period on a 4-0 surge to take their largest lead of the day, 17-6. The Firebirds continued to fight though, out-scoring their guests 3-2 in the final 15 minutes of the game, even scoring the game's last goal with 26 seconds remaining and a running clock. Still, Alderson-Broaddus came away the 10-goal victor, 19-9.

UDC has 10 days off before its next game on Sunday, March 19th vs. ECC foe Roberts Wesleyan College.