NEW YORK -- The Columbia lacrosse team (3-10) hosted Dartmouth (5-7) on Saturday afternoon at Robert K. Kraft Field. The Lions were in search of their first conference win, however they were denied by the Big Green who took control early and went on to win 16-8.
Columbia and Dartmouth began the game trading blows, with the Big Green dealing the first one at the 13:59 mark of the first quarter. The Lions had a quick answer, thanks to back-to-back goals from Cordelia Flemming and Annalisa Massaro which put Columbia in front. However, Dartmouth ended the quarter on a 5-0 to take a 7-3 lead.
The Big Green continued their run in the second quarter, scoring three more goals before Cecelia Messner responded with a goal of her own at the 9:50 mark to stop the bleeding. Dartmouth and Columbia traded goals one more time before the first half ended with Dartmouth holding an 11-5 lead.
In the third quarter, the Lions struggled to build off of their first half, and neither team was able to score until Dartmouth ended the drought with back-to-back goals midway through the period. With 4:07 left in the quarter, Dani Falcone scored Columbia's first goal of the half to try and ignite the Lions' offense.
Columbia attempted to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter down, with Gianna Danese opening the quarter with her second goal of the night. However, Dartmouth's defense ultimately withstood the late-game push, and Columbia failed to score for the rest of the game. Dartmouth would go on to win its second conference game.
Goalkeeper Ella Sangree recorded 11 saves for Columbia. Massaro, Danese, and Falcone led the team in goals with two each.
ALUMNI DAY
It was a busy day for Columbia, as the Lions honored their 2018 squad as part of Alumni Day festivities. This season marks the fifth anniversary of that 2018 team advancing to the Ivy League tournament for the first time in program history, with key wins over Harvard, Yale, & Brown. While the team ultimately lost in the semi-finals to the eventual tournament champion, Princeton, the Columbia community is proud of the efforts of these women and their competitive fight. They set the tone for the program for years to come.
ONE LOVE GAME
In addition, today was the Lions' "One Love" game. Throughout the afternoon, Columbia was raising funds for the One Love Foundation.
The One Love Foundation is a national non-profit organization with the goal of ending relationship abuse. They empower young people with the tools and resources they need to see the signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships and bring life-saving prevention education to their communities.
For more information, visit joinonelove.org.
To donate, click HERE.
ON DECK
Columbia will hit the road for one last time in the 2023 season, traveling to take on Ivy League foe Harvard. The Lions will square off against the Crimson on Saturday, April 22 at 2 p.m.
For the latest on Columbia lacrosse, follow @CULionsLax on Twitter and Instagram, and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
