Worcester, MA- The Lancers' Women's Lacrosse team took to John F. Caughlin Memorial Field tonight for their first home game of the young season, hosting the Bates College Bobcats. It would come on a cold early March evening, when the Lancers opened up their home slate of games. Worcester battled it back and forth with the Bobcats before ultimately falling 16-8. 

The Bobcats scored first, just 26 seconds in and never handed over the lead in the game. With 22 shots on goal throughout the first half, Bates was able to pull ahead 4-3 after the first quarter, then extend that lead to 11-4 with their most dominant quarter of the game. The Lancers got their first home goal of 2023 via sophomore Hannah Erikson (Dunstable, Mass.). 

Bates would not take their foot off the pedal in the second half, but the Lancers defense was more than up to the match allowing only four goals in the quarter while their defense continued to force turnover and shot clock violations out of Bates. The final frame would provide a similar story. While the Lancers defense held Bates to just a single goal, their attack was just unable to establish a rhythm, with the Lancers eventually falling to the Bobcats 16-8. 

Though unable to come away with a victory, there were some notable performances on the Worcester State side of the ball. Graduate student Clare Conway (Billerica, Mass.) followed up her Player of the Year nod for ice hockey with a hat trick for the lacrosse team this evening. Senior Shea Jarvis (Auburn, Mass.) had a pair of goals, and freshmen Mckayla Fisher (Peabody, Mass.) and Cailey Ryan (Acton, Mass.) each scored their first career home goals and added an assist for good measure. Senior Savanna Rosado made 21 saves on 37 shots in net for the Lancers.

Worcester State, now 0-2, will look to turn it around next week. They will head south to South Carolina to take on Colby-Sawyer and Emerson College, with the first game of spring break coming next Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m. Bates heads back up north now 2-2 on the young season.