Box Score
WENHAM, Mass.—MIT's Kira Schott scored six second-half goals as the Engineers overcame a three-goal deficit at halftime to hand Gordon Women's Lacrosse their first loss of the 2014 season, 12-10. Stephanie Fitzgerald (Groveland, Mass.) notched a hat-trick for the Fighting Scots, but MIT's offensive push in the first few moments of the second half ruined Gordon's chances of improving to 3-0.
 
Schott was the first goal scorer on the board with a goal at the 27:43 mark in the first half. The tall attacker cut through the middle of Gordon's defense for the unassisted score to give the Engineers a 1-0 lead. The Scots' Anna Blomberg (Simsbury, Conn.) answered back only three minutes later off a perfect entry pass from sophomore Jessica Castelline (Concord, Mass.).
 
At 22:02 in the first half, Fitzgerald found Rebecca Smith (Verona, N.J.) all alone at the top of the Scots' offensive zone. Smith retrieved the pass and took a step before slipping a ball past MIT's Candice Kaplan. The Scots continued their offensive run when Bailey Grinnell (South Hamilton, Mass.) took a ball off a failed clear by the Engineers all the way in for a quick score.
 
With 10 minutes remaining in the first half, Gordon's Jane Dietrich (West Hartford, Conn.) gave the Scots their largest lead of the game on an unassisted strike.  Dietrich shook off her defender and curled around the edge of the last defense for an open look at the net, which she finished.
 
Hannah Levy cut the Scots' lead to 4-2 with a free-position goal with less than seven minutes left in the half, her 21^st goal of the season. Again the Scots' offense responded with Blomberg's second goal of the game. Gordon won the following draw control, but a turnover gave an opportunity for MIT to capitalize on the other end. Schott made the Scots pay with her 17^th goal of the season on another free-position attempt.
 
Fitzgerald added her first goal of the game only 30 seconds later on another free-position attempt following a pushing call on the Engineers. Gordon took a 6-3 advantage into the halftime break against a team whom had scored 67 goals in four games coming into the day.
 
Whatever MIT's readjustments were at halftime, Schott took note. The sophomore scored four goals in the first five minutes of the second stanza to single-handedly give MIT a 7-6 lead. Isabella DiDio added a goal sandwiched in between another Schott score—her seventh of the game—as the Engineers finished off a 6-0 scoring run to begin the final half.
 
Grinnell stopped the drought for the Scots on a feed from Fitzgerald, but the Engineers quickly added two more goals from DiDio and Schott to post an 11-7 lead over Gordon. The Scots scored three of the final four goals of the game, but the Engineers' defense was just stingy enough down the stretch to fend off a rally.
 
Danielle Maguire (Braintree, Mass.) took her first loss of the season in net, while making eight saves. Kaplan made six saves in the win for MIT. She improves to 5-0 as their starting keeper.
 
Schott (eight goals), DiDio and Levy accounted for all 12 of the Engineers' goals, but their ability to win draw controls in the second half made a world of difference. Fitzgerald posted her second hat-trick of the season, while also setting up two other Gordon scores. Blomberg, Grinnell and Dietrich all added two goals.
 
The Scots are back at home on Thursday night for a 7 p.m. faceoff with Emerson in non-conference action.