Box Score PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia University women's lacrosse team was edged out by visiting Holy Family, 13-12, on a Sarah Kelly goal with one second remaining in a non-conference match Thursday afternoon on Ravenhill Field.
Kelly was granted a free-position shot after being fouled by the Rams' Alyssa Matthews (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) with three seconds on the clock. After the whistle blew to resume play, Kelly charged at the net at beat Maria Matteis (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills) with a shot inside the left post for the match winner.
Philadelphia is now 4-6 overall, while Holy Family goes to 7-3. It was the Rams' first home loss of 2015 (4-1).
The Rams faced a 7-2 deficit after the Tigers' Paige Settar scored with Holy Family up a play at the 5:54 mark of the opening half. The Settar goal forced head coach George Chis-Luca to call a timeout. Philadelphia responded with four straight goals before halftime to close the gap to 7-6.
Allison Brian (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) got the run going with the first of her three goals coming with 4:41 left. Liz Mower (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton Area) pulled the Rams within 7-4 after finding the back of the net less than a minute later. Lauren Hartman (Sewell, N.J./Our Lady of Mercy Academy) added back-to-back goals to bring the team within one with 33 seconds to go in the half.
Brian completed the Philadelphia comeback, scoring the tying goal just 54 seconds into the second half.
The Rams would be forced to make a second rally as the Tigers rattled off five consecutive goals—two from Brianna Lancetta, two from Settar, and one from Christina Bonomo—to open up a 12-7 lead with 10:43 to go.
Playing shorthanded, Hartman got momentum back for Philadelphia with her third goal of the afternoon coming 37 seconds after Holy Family went up five. Mower converted a free-position shot to close the gap to 12-9. On the next sequence, Katie Parent won the draw control, ran right down the field, and snuck a shot under the crossbar for the Rams' 10th goal.
Elizabeth Seitzinger (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) took advantage of a Holy Family yellow card to bring Philadelphia back within one with 5:57 left. Once again, it was Brian who tied the score with her third goal of the day 42 seconds after Seitzinger's tally.
Brian, Mower, and Hartman all recorded three goals and one assist for the Rams. Lancetta scored five times for Holy Family, while Settar added four goals and three ground balls.
Grace Deckert made five saves in the win. Matteis entered the match with 5:54 left in the first half and finished with four saves, but took the loss.
Philadelphia heads to Queens (N.Y.) for a non-conference match on Saturday, April 4 at 1 p.m.
