With impressive determination, the University of Redlands women's lacrosse team fought until the final whistle in Saturday's 9-12 loss to the visiting Chapman University Panthers on Farquhar Field.  While playing with only 11 women, the Bulldogs put their hearts into an uphill battle in the final game of the modified 2021 season.

Sophomore midfielder Emma Beaver's (Bend, OR) early strike put the Maroon and Gray on the board at the 19:16 mark of the opening half, but Chapman stormed out to a 5-1 lead less than two minutes into the contest.

While tightening things up on defense, the Bulldogs put together back-to-back goals to cut it to two with 10:48 to go.  After Beaver fired off a shot, junior midfielder Alison Waddles (Long Beach, CA) retained possession for Redlands, allowing the home team to reset its offense.  First-year midfielder Celine Flaig (Redondo Beach, CA) found open space to unleash her first goal of the game.  A few minutes later, Flaig forced the Panthers to cough up the ball, which she corralled and eventually sent into the back of the net for the 3-5 tally.

However, Chapman immediately responded with a pair of scores, before Flaig connected with junior midfielder Sydney Louie (Lafayette, CA) less than 30 seconds after the subsequent draw to make it 4-7.  On the ensuing possession, Flaig's shot flew wide but Louie was there to pick it up and earn a free-position opportunity, which she converted with 1:48 left in the first half.

But the Panthers put up another score to finish the half with an 8-5 advantage.

Nonetheless, the Louie-Flaig combination remained effective for the Maroon and Gray, as the duo scored twice in the first few minutes of the second half to make it a one-goal game at 7-8.

The teams traded scores over the next few minutes, with Chapman going up by two and Redlands cutting it to one on multiple occasions. Junior midfielder Casey Lynch (Mount Lebanon, PA) and Flaig provided the firepower for the Maroon and Gray during this stretch.  However, a second yellow card sent a Bulldog to the bench, forcing Redlands to play with only 10 women for the final 14:45 of the game.

As a result, the Panthers had the final word by scoring two goals and holding the Bulldogs at bay en route to the 12-9 decision. 

Flaig finished with four goals, an assist, four ground balls, and two draw controls, while Louie added three scores, four ground balls, and two draw controls.  Defensively, Flaig also provided four caused turnovers, as Beaver, Louie, and Lynch earned two apiece.

First-year goalkeeper Nikki Hutten (Hinsdale, IL) patrolled the Redlands net by making seven saves.

Redlands (0-2) looks forward to competing in 2022 with a more robust roster of Bulldogs.