On Feb. 14, Clemson women’s lacrosse fell just one goal short against Stanford, losing 10-9 and dropping its first ACC matchup in a battle of top-10 titans.
No. 4/5 Stanford tightened up defensively as the game progressed, eventually finding its footing and pulling away in the second half.
Clemson turnovers, penalties and uncharacteristic errors gave way to five straight Stanford goals over nearly 10 minutes of game time in the third and fourth quarters.
Before the second half meltdown, the Tigers controlled the game, never trailing until the end of the third quarter.
Clemson’s freshman duo of the No. 1 and No. 2 recruits, Alexa Spallina and Emma Penczek, dominated the first half. Spallina assisted three of the Tigers’ first four goals, with the latter two coming from the stick of Penczek.
Clemson came into the game as the top offense in the nation for assists per game, primarily because of Spallina’s efforts, who was tied for first in points scored this season. She found her footing against a stout defense, scoring once on a highlight-reel, step-down shot and adding four assists.
Brooke Goldstein opened the scoring for Clemson, finishing a Spallina-fed shot on the crease less than five minutes into the game. She scored again later in the contest, this time unassisted on a dodge from behind the net.
The Tigers’ defense was tenacious all game long, led by Teagan Scott’s five forced turnovers and four ground balls. Bridget Babcock had a standout performance as well, grabbing two ground balls and draw controls, forcing two turnovers and assisting a goal. Nearly every cross-field pass that Stanford attempted was intercepted and taken the other way.
The game was tied at halftime, 5-5, after an errant Stanford pass sailed into the net with six seconds left in the half. Though fluky, that goal ended up being the difference in the contest.
Spallina’s goal gave Clemson a 7-5 lead in the third, but it lit a fire in the Cardinal. From then on, Stanford’s defense was physical, aggressive and suffocating.
Stanford locked off seemingly every adjacent pass, haranguing ball carriers with checks while Stanford goalie Lucy Pearson stood on her head in the cage. The senior made seven saves and played a significant role in holding Clemson scoreless.
On the other end, the Tigers kept getting in their own way. They committed a yellow card and five green cards, while Stanford was whistled for just two green cards.
The Tigers presented the Cardinal with opportunity after opportunity at the eight-meter line, and despite the best efforts of Clemson goalie duo Gigi Adamson and Molly DeLuca, shot after shot found the back of the net for Stanford.
Trailing 10-7, Allison Kwolek called a timeout, and the Tigers reset themselves. They scored a pair of goals to tighten up the score.
Kayla MacLeod hammered the cage with a shot from outside the eight-meter arc to bring the deficit to one goal with seven minutes left. It was the 80th goal of her career, and she became the first Tiger to reach that milestone.
While the Tigers’ ferocious comeback was just one goal away from completion, Clemson could not find the tying goal. Stanford’s defense showed up once more, and the game time ran out.
The Tigers will spend the rest of February on the road, returning to the Clemson Lacrosse Complex on March 4 to play No. 1 North Carolina.
In the meantime, Clemson is back in action against Queens in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday.
