Box Score Kutztown, Pa. - (2/25/2017) – The Chestnut Hill College women's lacrosse team opened their 2017 schedule with an abnormally warm late-winter contest at Kutztown University. Sophomore midfielder Julia Reinert (Bridgeport, Pa.) led the Griffin rally that fell just shy of the Golden Bears in a 13-12 final. The contest was competitive at the start, but a mid first-half by the home side provided enough distance to endure the Scarlet and Gold's second-half comeback. Reinert offered a career performance in the season opener, recording highs in goals (5), points (7), ground balls (7) and caused turnovers (3).
 
Chestnut Hill College (0-1) recorded the initial goal of the affair, when Reinert converted a free position opportunity at 27:40 of the opening half. Kutztown University (1-0) then traded goals with Griffins over the next ten minutes, leaving the contest knotted at 3-3 (17:11) halfway to intermission. A six goal run by the Golden Bears followed as the home team drew several free position shots, converting four of them en route to a 9-3 edge (4:06). Fortunately, senior attack Samantha Herron (Cinnaminson, N.J.) found senior midfielder Lea Sanders (North Merrick, N.Y.), to cut the deficit to five goals, 9-4 (1:34), before halftime.
 
Refocused, the Scarlet and Gold scored the first three goals of the second half. Herron assisted on the first (Fitzgerald, 9-5 @ 28:32) and third (Reinert, 9-7 @ 24:09) tally of the run, which cut the Golden Bears advantage to just two goals, 9-7. It remained a two goal difference, 11-9, roughly six minutes later (17:25) with Herron and Reinert connecting for second time in the contest. Unfortunately, the next two tallies came from the Golden Bears, expanding their lead to four goals, 13-9 (14:06); enough to endure the Griffins' fleeting three-goal streak that ended the same way it began, with a Reinert free position goal (13-12, 0:26).
 
Sophomore attack Makayla Bowman (Lansdale, Pa.) matched Reinert's five goal effort with one of her own. She added a ground ball and a draw control to her offensive production. Sophomore Lauren Schmidt (Hanover, Pa.) and senior defender Courtney O'Neill (Statford, N.J.) helped keep the Golden Bears in possession of the ball with a combined eight ground balls, four draw controls, and six caused turnovers. In goal, senior Abby Cox (York, Pa.) (1-0) made eight saves.
 
Reinert was supported by a three-goal debut from freshman midfielder Spencer Fitzgerald (Huntingtown, Md.). Fitzgerald also recorded an assist, a ground ball, two draws, and a caused turnover in the appointment. Senior goalkeeper Katie Joe Lang (Manassas, Va.) (0-1) took the loss despite eight saves and four ground balls.
 
The Chestnut Hill College women's lacrosse team returns to action on Tuesday, February 28, with a 3:00 p.m. contest at East Stroudsburg University.