NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (March 25, 2023) – In what was its first of back-to-back games on back-to-back days playing on the campus of Christopher Newport University, the Denison University women's lacrosse team took on the No. 6-ranked team in the country in Salisbury University. The Big Red would fight hard and found themselves within one of the Sea Gulls entering the fourth quarter before falling 17-10 on Saturday afternoon in Newport News, Virginia.

It was also the first meeting between Denison (2-6 overall) and Salisbury (6-3) since they matched up in the semifinals of the 2021 NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship, a 20-10 win for the Sea Gulls at the time.

In this one on Saturday, Denison goalkeeper Caroline O'Dea made a save on a Salisbury free position attempt just under two and a half minutes in before it was the Big Red who scored first on a free position shot by Allaire Kotz less than three minutes in.

Salisbury, however, answered just 30 seconds later and then took a 2-1 lead before another nice save by O'Dea led to a quick score by Ryann Yospa to make it 2-2 with just over six and a half minutes left in the first quarter.

After it was 4-2 Salisbury, Grayson O'Marra won the ensuing draw control, which helped lead to a goal by Josie Lucchesi to make it 4-3 with under three minutes remaining in the opening period.

O'Dea made another save on a free position attempt at the end of the first quarter, but then two goals in the opening minute of the second quarter allowed the Sea Gulls to double up the score at 6-3.

Lucchesi scored again to make it 6-4 a minute and a half into the second quarter, and then Maddie Morrell scored on a free position shot to make it to make it 7-5 with just over seven minutes left before halftime.

Down 8-5 just 45 seconds later, the Big Red got the final two goals of the first half from Morrell with four minutes left and from Jane Bailey with just under two and a half minutes on the clock to draw to within one (8-7) at the break.

O'Dea finished with eight saves in the first half, and then Denison stayed within striking distance in the third quarter as Lucchesi scored on a free position attempt to make it 9-8 with nine minutes left in the period before Salisbury scored less than a minute later.

Denison would finish 4-for-9 in the game on free positions shots while Salisbury was 0-for-4.

Morrell scored on the assist by Kotz with five and half minutes left in the third quarter to make it 10-9, and that score would remain going into the fourth quarter until Salisbury scored three times in the first three minutes of the period to take their largest lead of the game to that point up 13-9.

The Big Red outshot the Sea Gulls 5-4 in the third quarter and limited them to just three shots on goal to go along with seven turnovers in the period, but then to start the fourth quarter, Salisbury scored on each of its first five shots of the period to pull away.

Morrell and Lucchesi both finished with three goals for the Big Red while Bailey (2 goals, 1 assist) also had three points.

Annie Rau led Denison with three groundballs while she and three others Big Red players (Morrell, Mary Daniel, Kate Coward) each had two caused turnovers.

O'Dea would go on to finish with 11 saves in the net, her second-highest total so far this season as a senior.

Denison will now take on the hosts from Christopher Newport University tomorrow (Mar. 26) starting at 12 p.m.