Oberlin, Ohio – Holding the Big Red to their lowest goal total in conference play, the Oberlin College women's lacrosse team went toe-to-toe against #22 Denison on Saturday afternoon. Falling 18-11, the Yeowomen move to 8-7 on the season and 1-3 on NCAC action.
 
Leading the charge was Larissa Andrick with a hat trick and an assist. Megan Hiller and Alexis Escobedo finished with two goals apiece, while Kylie Thompson and Izzy Sunday mirrored each other with a goal and two assists.
 
Rachel Reiter nearly broke history on the circle, pulling in eight draw controls for the most in a single game since Natalie Rauchle tallied nine in 2018.
 
On defense, Janny McCormick earned the start in cage where she made 15 saves and scooped four ground balls. Hiller led the team with six ground balls, while Maddie Darlington brought in five, and Andrick added another four. Hiller also finished with two caused turnovers.
 
After Denison scored first, Oberlin responded with three goals over three minutes to taking a strong 3-1 lead. The run began with Hiller's 30^th goal of the season after the junior caused a turnover on Denison during a clear.
 
The Big Red scored in the opening minute of the second quarter, but a draw control from Reiter converted into a goal from Andrick to regain the two-score lead. On the wrong end of a 4-0 run, Oberlin ended the drought with a man-up goal from Andrick. Adding one more goal before the half expired, Denison held a 7-5 midway through the game.
 
Coming out of the break, Hiller caused havoc in the midfield, causing another turnover on the Big Red during their clear. Finding Andrick on the other side of the ball, Andrick connected with Sophie Ward to open the scoring. After the nationally-ranked visitors extended their lead to five, Thompson found Hiller in the eight coming out of a timeout. Sunday passed to Escobedo for the final goal of the quarter as Oberlin sat behind Denison, 13-9.
 
Still within striking distance to begin the final period, Pheobe Dolan got on the board with a drive straight to cage. Down 14-10, Thompson responded to another goal from the Big Red with a score of her own at 5:54. Denison broke free after winning a trio of draw controls, to extend their lead to seven. With an 18-11 advantage, the Big Red held off the underrated Yeowomen to seal the North Coast victory.
 
"Despite the score, we took a step forward as a program today. We had talked about today being a fantastic opportunity to play a great team and see what we are made of. We ended the game seeing our potential and getting motivated for our big last week of regular season."
 
Head Coach Malory Nadrah says as she reflects on her team's performance, "I'm super proud of this group, they are laying the groundwork for a strong culture that will continue to do great things in the future."
 
Oberlin hits the road for their next contest on Wednesday, April 23 when they travel to take on Ohio Wesleyan. The matchup with the Battling Bishops is set to begin at 4 p.m.
 
Fans can keep up with their favorite teams on Instagram, Facebook, X, or TikTok, and watch all the home matches live online. The Crimson and Gold's home broadcasts can be accessed on TV through the official Oberlin College Sports Network app on Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV.