LACROSSE: Saline Comeback Gets Reversed in the 4th Quarter in 13-10 Loss to Wayne

The Saline varsity girls lacrosse team fought back from a five-goal deficit to take an 8-7 lead late in the third period, but Anthony Wayne High School dug deep for a big fourth quarter and won, 13-10.

Sophomore Ayla Stager led the Hornet attack with four goals. Senior Kate Aeschliman, junior Carly Pufpaf and junior Lucy Sweeney each scored two goals.

Saline's four-game winning streak was snapped as the Hornets fell to 4-4 overall.

The Hornets were down 2-0 early when Stager scored her first - which looked a bit like a skyhook, up and over the defenders and into the goal. The Generals scored the next two goals and led 4-1 at the end of the quarter.

Down 5-1, Pufpaf scored her first goal of the game when she fought through traffic and scored with an overhand shot. The generals scored the next two goals and led 7-2.

Aeschliman scored consecutive goals to get the Hornets within three at halftime at 7-4.

The Hornets rode the moment in a great third quarter.

Lucy Sweeney had one of the best goals of the season, picking up a ground ball at midfield, racing down the right wing and scoring. And then she followed by taking a pass at midfield, out running her defenders and scoring again from the right wing. Saline was down 7-6.

Then it was Stager's time to shine. She was knocked down for a foul. She took advantage of the penalty and ran toward the net from the left and positioned her self in front of the goal before firing a high shot past the goalie. A moment later, Stager took a pass and found herself all alone in front of the goal before scoring to give Saline its first lead of the game, 8-7. The Hornets had climbed all the way back to take the lead of the game that looked lost. But the Generals won the faceoff and scored before the end of the quarter to tie the game at 8.

Unfortunately for the Hornets, the Generals won faceoffs and scored twice early in the quarter. It was 11-8 before Pufpaf scored again on a pretty passing play.

With five seconds left in the game, Stager scored her fourth goal of the game.

For a full gallery from the game, click here: LACROSSE: Saline Girls vs Wayne4-26-24 - thesalinepost (smugmug.com).

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