Lacrosse Falls to No. 5 Stony Brook

STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Sun Devil Lacrosse suffered a 16-4 loss to No. 5 Stony Brook on Friday at LaValle Stadium.
 
In the midst of a four-game stretch against Top-20 teams, Arizona State (4-6, 3-2) could not keep up with the talented Seawolves. The Maroon & Gold were playing in front of a strong contingent of supporters, as Sun Devil fans made the trip with several New York and East Coast natives on the team.
 
One of those natives, goalkeeper Katie Vahle, put on a show for the crowd with an excellent performance. She prevented further damage by making several acrobatic and reactionary saves, keeping Arizona State in the game until a third quarter run. The ASU offense ran into a red-hot Seawolves defense, who came into the game allowing only 5.5 goals over their past five games.
 
In her return to LaValle Stadium, Sun Devil Lacrosse Assistant Coach Dorrien Van Dyke was greeted kindly by the crowd and her former head coach Joe Spallina.
 
""We love Dor (Dorrien Van Dyke). She is a big part of the success of this program," Coach Spallina reflected. "She is a legend and on the Mount Rushmore of players that have worn our jersey as far as I am concerned."
 
TURNING POINT
Arizona State managed to keep it close with the nation's No. 5 team, trailing by only five goals at halftime. Stony Brook showed why they are ranked so highly in a dominant third quarter, outscoring the Sun Devils 5-0. Several timely Katie Vahle saves provided a spark for the visitors, but they could not regain the momentum to mount a comeback effort. 
 
QUOTABLES
Head Coach Tim McCormack
On Katie Vahle's performance
"Katie Vahle saw a ton of shots tonight and she made some big saves. She is continuing to grow each game."

On the turnout by Sun Devil fans
"It was awesome to see the support from the families who made it out to the game. We are fortunate to have such good people involved with our program."

Goalkeeper Katie Vahle
On the turnout by Sun Devil fans
"Having that many fans brings so much more energy when we play. It's good to see a lot of family's, friends, and young kids supporting us from the east coast."

On how she makes stops on point-blank opportunities
"My defense is a huge help with getting underneath the players making it harder for the shooters to get the best placement they can on shots which makes it easier for me to follow the ball from a closer range."

FIRST QUARTER
A slow-paced first quarter played to the Sun Devil favor, as they prevented the Seawolves from getting out in transition. After Stony Brook scored the first three goals of the game, Arizona State got on the board before the end of the period. Carley Adams took a feed from Emily Glagolev and beat the goalkeeper with a quick release to cut the lead to two. ASU would trail Stony Brook 3-1 at the end of one. 
 
SECOND QUARTER
The Sun Devils would cut into the lead even more to begin the second quarter. Kaylon Buckner showed great reflexes and instincts when burying a rebound off a saved shot, making it 3-2. The Seawolves would go onto score the next five goals, taking an 8-2 lead. Arizona State would have one more response before the end of the half, with Emily Glagolev finishing after getting a pass from Carley Adams. ASU went into the halftime break trailing 8-3  
 
THIRD QUARTER
Stony Brook took over in the third quarter, proving why they have won 23 straight games at home. The Seawolves outscored Arizona State 5-0 in the quarter to extend their lead to 13-3 and trigger a running clock.
 
FOURTH QUARTER
Despite the challenge presented by the opponent and the large deficit, the Sun Devils never gave up. Stony Brook scored the first three goals of the fourth quarter to take their largest lead, but Arizona State would tally the final goal. Taylor Pinzone converted on a free-position attempt, with the clock running out following the goal and the Sun Devils falling 16-4.
 
UP NEXT
Arizona State is back in action to take on No. 14 Rutgers at 9 AM MST on Sunday, Apr. 3. The showdown with the Scarlet Knights can be followed with live stats and broadcast information will be coming out soon.
 
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