April 15, 2011
CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati lacrosse team got three goals and a school-record tying five assists from Katie Kiriazoglou, but it was not enough as the Bearcats lost an 11-10 decision to Villanova, Friday in BIG EAST Conference action at Nippert Stadium.
It marked the fourth time Kiriazoglou has tied her own school records with five assists and eight points in game. All three of her goals came in the first half.
Also scoring for the Bearcats (2-10, 0-4 BIG EAST) was: MacKenzie Parsons, Marissa Pierson, and Laura Simanski with two goals apiece, and Katie Liberatore who added a single tally. Liberatore also added two assists while Kylie Ramsland finished with one.
UC led 9-3 at halftime, after being put in an early 1-0 hole by Villanova (5-6, 1-3 BIG EAST). The Wildcats were on the board with a goal at the 28:59 mark, but two scores by Parsons, two from Kiriazoglou, and one from Simanski gave UC a 5-1 lead with 18:34 left.
The Wildcats got one back at the 18:02 mark, but Kiriazoglou's third, followed by goals from Liberatore, Simanski, and Pierson made the margin 9-2 with 3:30 left. Villanova added a free-position shot with 1:51 remaining to make the score 9-3 and close out scoring for the half.
The Bearcats struggled to get the offense going in the second half, taking only six shots, compared to 25 for Villanova. UC's single tally in the second half was a beautiful feed up the middle from Kiriazoglou who hit Pierson in stride and then Pierson beat the Wildcats `keeper with a great shot.
Villanova chipped away at the UC lead, carrying a 9-2 advantage on draw controls in the second half, scoring three unanswered goals in the first nine minutes of the second half. After Pierson's goal, the Wildcats added five more, including the game-winner from Justine Donodeo with 1:29 remaining.
The Bearcats will be back on the field Sunday at noon to take on Rutgers. UC will don its pink uniforms in celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness and the team will also welcome local youth lacrosse teams to Nippert Stadium. Admission for all fans is free and there is an autograph session with the Bearcats on the field postgame. Live stats and streaming video are available at GoBEARCATS.com.