Bulldogs drop midweek game to No. 16 Stanford

Wednesday, March 31

Fresno, Calif.

3:00 PM PT

Fresno State

1-8

Stanford

6-0

Stanford

Fresno State

Photo by: CARY EDMONDSON - FRESNO STATE

Bulldogs drop midweek game to No. 16 Stanford

3/31/2021 7:30:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

By: Savannah Stoeckle / Strategic Communications Assistant

FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno State lacrosse team gave up a loss to a tough Stanford team at the Soccer and Lacrosse Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. The Bulldogs fell 23-8 to the No. 16-ranked, and undefeated, Cardinal. Fresno State closed out its nonconference slate on Wednesday.

The Bulldogs had five different goal-scorers versus Stanford, led by sophomore midfielder Hennessey Evans with three. Junior attacker Sydney Skalstad had two goals, and Megan Walaitis, Hannah Krats and Logann Eldredge added one apiece. Eldredge also led the team with two assists.

Defensively, senior goalkeeper Courtney Walburger had another career-best outing as she racked up 15 saves and six ground balls. Senior defender Abbigayle Roberts was right behind with five ground balls and one caused turnover. Sophomore defender Taylor Anders had a career-high three caused turnovers.

The Bulldogs held the advantage in ground balls (23-22) and saves (15-11). The Bulldogs took their most shots in a game (26) since facing Cal on Mar. 5. The 'Dogs also earned their most ground balls in a game since that meeting with the Bears.

How it Happened
No. 16 Stanford opened the game with six unanswered goals in the first five and a half minutes of play. Evans snapped the Cardinal scoring run on the breakaway, with the feed from Eldredge at the 23:42 mark in the first half. Stanford responded with three goals in a two minute span before Krats netted her only goal of the game on a free-position that snuck in past the Cardinal goalkeeper. Stanford again responded with three-straight goals in just over two minutes to extend its lead to 12-2 with 12:40 remaining in the half.

At the 11:04 mark of the first half, the Bulldog offense got a spurt of energy, scoring three-straight of its own to cut the Cardinal lead to seven and halt the running clock. Evans scored back-to-back goals to start the run, and Skalstad scored on a free-position to add one more for the Bulldogs. Skalstad's goal at 7:48 would be the beginning of a scoring drought for both teams as neither offense was able to find the back of the net for six minutes. In total, the Bulldog defense held the Cardinal off the board for over 11 straight minutes of clock time.

Stanford closed out the first half with two goals in the final 90 seconds, taking a 14-5 lead into the break.

The Cardinal scored early in the second half, but the Bulldogs responded back with two goals from Walaitis and Skalstad, both unassisted as the Bulldog attackers showed their footwork to maneuver and score. Stanford would close out the game with an 8-1 scoring performance. The lone Bulldog goal was from Eldredge at the 11:33 mark.

Up Next
Fresno State will have two weeks free of a competition, and prepare for Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play at San Diego State on April 17. The Bulldogs return home for Senior Day on April 24 versus UC Davis. Friends and family of the Bulldog lacrosse team can expect to be at the Soccer and Lacrosse Stadium for the Bulldogs' Senior Day, and the MPSF tournament (April 30-May 1). More information regarding Fresno State's new attendance policy is available here.

"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley '' – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.

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