Villanova faced a tough matchup with the Longwood Lancers, losing the March 22 game in Farmville, Va, despite a strong comeback effort.

The Wildcats had a difficult time redeeming themselves after facing a rocky first half in which they at one point trailed Longwood 8-1. However, junior Taryn McKenna helped the Wildcats find their offensive rhythm when she scored two consecutive goals just 49 seconds apart. Freshman Rachel Lasda helped narrow the gap to 9-4 by halftime as she added another goal four minutes before the end of the first period. Longwood’s ninth goal came with 6:11 left in the first half, but a turned-around Wildcat defense was able to hold off the Lancers’ scoring for over 30 minutes.

In the second period, McKenna scored her third goal right away, followed by another from freshman Rachael Ponge just 11 seconds later, bringing the score to 9-6. The freshman force of the team was demonstrated once again with 10 minutes remaining when freshman Nora Wallace scored two in a row. Altogether, Ponge and Wallace contributed four of Villanova’s nine goals.

In the end, the Wildcats’ strong rally from their 8-1 deficit was not enough, although they were able to close the Lancers’ lead to just one. Senior Amanda Carlson scored Villanova’s ninth and final goal with just 37 seconds left in the game, but the Wildcats fell one short, ending the game with a 10-9 loss. In goal, senior Lauren Latchford and freshman Maggie Langan had five combined saves.

The Wildcats will take on LeMoyne tomorrow at 7 p.m. at home. — A.G.