Women’s lacrosse team comes up short in two games at Otterbein

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Olivet College women's lacrosse team came up short in two games today at Otterbein University. In their first game, the Comets fell to the host Cardinals, 15-12, and then they lost 12-6 to Thiel (Pa.) College. Despite the losses, freshman Geri Merrell (Battle Creek/Lakeview) had four total goals to break Olivet's single-season record. She now has 27 goals in 2012.

The first half against Otterbein was a back-and-forth affair, as neither team led by more than two goals. Merrell scored the first goal of the game, but the Cardinals quickly scored two goals to go up 2-1. Olivet came right back with two goals, one by Merrell and the other by senior Cortney Wernette (Remus/Chippewa Hills), to give the Comets the lead, 3-2.

Otterbein scored three of the next four goals to take a 5-4 lead. Freshman Mackenzie Inman (Union City) found the net twice to put Olivet back up 6-5. The Cardinals had three unanswered goals to take an 8-6 lead. Cortney Wernette scored with 20 seconds left before halftime to make the Comets' deficit only one, 8-7, at halftime.

Cortney Wernette and senior Nicole Wernette (Remus/Chippewa Hills) each scored to start the second half to help Olivet regain the lead, 9-7. That would be the Comets' last lead of the game, as Otterbein scored five straight goals to take a 13-9 lead and it did not relinquish the lead for the rest of the game.

For the game, Merrell and Cortney Wernette each scored three goals. Nicole Wernette had an assist to go along with two goals for three points. Freshman Taylor Guarnaccia (East Lansing/Haslett) scored once and assisted on another goal. Freshman Mimi Garza (Battle Creek/Pennfield) also had a goal. In goal, freshman Sarah Shaw (Grand Haven) made five saves, while playing all 60 minutes.

After Thiel scored the first goal of the game, Guarnaccia put Olivet up 2-1 with two goals. There was no scoring for more than 10 minutes until the Tomcats scored three straight goals in a span of 77 seconds to gain a two-goal advantage, 4-2. The Comets only trailed by one 5-4 at halftime. Thiel opened the second half with a 7-0 scoring run to take a 12-4 lead. Olivet did not get on the scoreboard in the second half until there was one minute left in the game.

The Comets finished the game with 35 shots, including nine from Merrell and five from Cortney Wernette. Besides Guarnaccia's two goals, four others each scored once. Shaw made 14 saves.

The Comets host Siena Heights University next Tuesday, April 3 at 7 p.m.