Despite taking the lead several times throughout the game, the Western women’s lacrosse team lost 17-18 to Gonzaga University on Saturday, Feb. 27. The Vikings and the Bulldogs exchanged points equally throughout the game, with each team quickly answering for the goals of their opponents. “I think it was a really good game. I think Gonzaga came out really strong and I think the score reflects the game. It was just a one point difference,” said sophomore midfielder and attacker Sarah Wyrick. Wyrick handled the ball frequently and scored several goals in both halves. Though Wyrick stood out, one constant throughout the game was cooperation. Players passed the ball between one another frequently. A few Western players were flagged for misconduct during the game. These were only minor infractions however, like a foul or getting a little too close with a lacrosse stick. The last flag of the game may have cost the Vikings a win, however. With the score tied, both teams were becoming more aggressive. At the one minute mark, a Gonzaga player lost possession of the ball and McKay dove for it. This didn’t sit well with the referee, and she was given a yellow card. As McKay came back to the sidelines, her teammates asked what exactly happened. “I flew through the air and it was dangerous,” McKay said to the team. The yellow card forced her to sit on the bench for two minutes. With only a minute left, she sat out the remainder of the game while the rest of the team played a man down. Senior defense and co-captain Kaitlin Ades said the team was surprised the call was a yellow card and that it might have been a charge call. They were all frustrated from the calls made by the referees. “We fought really hard and we have a better team overall. They have a few good players and we beat them by quite a bit last time we played them. We’re pretty evenly matched teams,” Ades said. “We had a few girls out with concussions so that kind of affected our game as well. Overall, I’m really proud.” Ades was grateful for the break between their next game against the University of Washington later in the day. The women would get a chance to recharge. After this weekend, Western’s next home game will be Saturday April 16, for the regional lacrosse championship. Since Western won the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League in 2015, they will host the regional championships.
