LAX3/9/2016 4:27 AM | By: Cal Athletics
Second-Half Comeback Surges Bears Past Lancers
BERKELEY - Scoring seven of the first eight goals in the second half propelled the California women's lacrosse team to a come-from-behind 13-11 victory over Longwood Tuesday night from Kabam Field at California Memorial Stadium. The win was the Golden Bears' first of 2016.
"It feels fantastic," Cal head coach Brooke Eubanks said about getting the first win of the season. "0-3 feels bad, but we played some really good teams in there, so it's huge to get this win, like getting that monkey off your back."
The comeback actually started at the very end of the first half when Chloe Landry went draw to goal in the final seconds of the first half, and put Cal's fifth tally on the board with one second remaining to go into the locker room trailing, 8-5.
Cal (1-3) used that momentum from Landry's goal to score the first four consecutive goals in the second half and seven of the first eight. Landry and Meredith Haggerty both scored twice during that stretch in the second half. Landry ended the night with a team-high five points on four goals, and Haggerty added three goals of her own.
"It was more of the attitude, like going out and being aggressive, taking risks," Eubanks said about the second half comeback. "That's what made the big difference. We reiterated in the locker room to keep shooting, they're gonna fall. We had a lot of good shots, but we were just missing wide in the first half. So getting a couple in the goal early in the second half really got our confidence going."
Besides the offensive production from Landry and Haggerty, Cal had five other goal scorers on the day - Elizabeth Pellechi (2), and Caroline Schlegel, Kate Mattimore, Caroline Corzel and Eliza Christman all garnered a goal, as well. Pellechi has scored five goals in the first four games of the season, and Christman's goal was the first of the career for the true freshman.
"We have a lot of diverstiy in people who can finish on the offensive end," Eubanks said. "Hopefully this is a propeller into what's going to come."
Another true freshman, goalie Jenny Wilkens, made eight saves, collected two ground balls and caused one turnover. Eubanks said Wilkens came up huge, making some difficult saves to boost the team's confidence. Her efforts held Longwood to only three goals in the second half.
"Jenny is playing huge," Eubanks said. "She's making big saves, she's doing her job and making the saves that she needs to. She's also making those saves where maybe she shouldn't but she does. That builds confidence for the rest of the team."
Landry leads the Bears in points on the year with nine on eight goals and one assist, while Haggerty is right behind her with eight points on seven goals and one assist. Jena Fritts also has seven points, all on assists, and Pellechi has six points on five goals and one assist.
Cal continues its four-game homestand against Vermont on Friday, March 11, at 2 p.m. from Kabam Field.