POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Two games hardly provide enough data to say it's a pattern, but for the second straight game to start the season, the Bard College women's lacrosse team has just been a monster in the second half.
In the opener on Tuesday, it was 7-7 at halftime vs. Old Westbury, and Bard won, 20-12. On Saturday, the Raptors held a slim 9-8 lead at halftime and ended up beating Manhattanville, 21-13, breaking the school record for goals in a game and producing their first 2-0 start to a season since 2014.
The Raptors were down, 7-5, with just over seven minutes left in the first half. But Dylan McDonald scored back-to-back unassisted goals less than a minute apart to get Bard back even, and later, freshman Molly Devine's woman-up goal with 13 seconds left in the half gave the Raptors a 9-8 lead.
Also key in the first half was the play of Bard goalie Kaylynn Tran, who kept the Raptors in it with 10 saves in the first 30 minutes, half of those saves on free position shots.
Manhattanville (1-1) tied the game early in the second half, and hung in there, cutting a Bard lead to 12-11 with 18 minutes left. But the Raptors emphatically slammed the door with seven consecutive goals over the next 8:41, basically scoring a goal every minute or so during that stretch.
After being outshot 24-16 in the first half, Bard outshot the Valiants 23-15 in the second half. The Raptors also dominated draw controls in the final 30 minutes, winning 13 of 18, after winning eight of 18 in the first half.
The Valiants got five goals, one assist, six ground balls and seven draw controls from Melissa O'Mara (Huntington, NY). Alex Breen (South Windsor, CT) made 12 saves.
Seven players scored for Bard. Melissa Rosenthal led the way with four goals, three assists, 10 draw controls and three ground balls. Dylan McDonald added four goals and two assists, Casey Witte scored four times, Caleigh DeCaprio had three goals and two assists, and Devine scored three goals and had a team-high four ground balls. Nicole Ellin scored twice and collected seven draw controls, Marion Adams had a goal and an assist, and Tran finished with 15 saves. On the defensive side, Molly Woolery scooped up three ground balls and Yinyin Doherty-Weinraub caused a pair of turnovers.
Up next for Bard is the Liberty League opener against 13th-ranked William Smith. That game will be played at Dietz Stadium on Friday at 1. Follow it via Live Stats right here.
