Box Score by Benny Benton
WILSON, N.C. – After scoring just three total goals over its first three matches of the year, the Barton College women's lacrosse team equaled that number less than four minutes into Wednesday's match against Chowan University. However, the Lady Bulldogs were still unable to keep pace with Hawks, which claimed a 14-7 decision to delay BC's first win in program history.
The Lady Bulldogs fell to 0-4 overall and in league play. Chowan, playing in the conference for the first time as an associate member, collected the school's first Conference Carolinas win, moving to 1-1 overall and in league play.
Barton senior Kelly Dolan won the opening draw control of the match and worked her way down the field to score her first goal of the year just 21 seconds into the contest. Chowan's Heather Orell tied the match just 26 seconds later by scoring on a free position shot, but the Lady Bulldogs used goals by Courtney Willis and Dolan to take a 3-1 lead with 26:22 still left in the first half.
However, the Hawks quickly drew even again on goals by Misten White and Jennifer Caird just 17 seconds apart. Chowan took the lead for good at 4-3 on a goal by Orell scored despite playing a man-down due to a yellow card penalty. Caird scored again to put Chowan up by two with 16:55 left in the half, but Willis answered with her second goal of the day to cut the BC deficit back to one with 14 minutes remaining before intermission.
Neither team scored over the next 11 minutes, as Barton failed to create a shot opportunity and the Hawks missed on six attempts, two of them saved by BC goalie Tiffany Fowler, who had six saves in the first-half alone and nine for the match.
Chowan broke the scoring drought and put a serious dent into Barton's victory hopes with two goals in the final three minutes of the period. Both were scored by Alexandria Hammonds, one with 2:52 to play and the other with just 13 seconds remaining before halftime.
Willis briefly slowed the Chowan momentum with her third goal of the afternoon less than three minutes into the second half, cutting the Hawks' lead to 7-5. However, Orell scored again for Chowan roughly three minutes later on a free position shot after a Barton foul, and Caird added another goal for the Hawks just 11 seconds later to push CU's advantage to 9-5.
Barton pulled within three on two more occasions, at 9-6 after Aryanna Fahnestock's first goal of the season and at 10-7 after Kianna Jimenez' third goal of the year. However, Chowan kept Barton off the board in the final 14 minutes while pulling away.
Hammonds finished the contest with a match-high five goals for Chowan.
The Hawks took 31 shots while Barton produced 17, and both teams turned the ball over at a high rate, BC 32 times and Chowan 28.
Barton will have three weeks off before its next match at North Greenville University on March 17.
