Recap: Arsenault and Gilbert combine for 7 goals in 10-9 victory

For the fourth time in the last five outings, Team Apuzzo rallied from a deficit of five points or more to claim a 10-9 victory over Team Moreno in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader at USA Lacrosse Headquarters.

Rookie attacker Lauren Gilbert scored the game-winning goal with 2:45 remaining in the fourth quarter as Team Apuzzo scored the final six goals of the game to finish Week Three with a 2-1 record. Team Moreno, meanwhile, dropped its second straight one-point contest to close the Week at 0-3.

Attacker Sam Apuzzo paced her squad offensively by scoring two goals with three assists, earning MVP 2 honors and finishing with a game-high 169 leaderboard points. Meanwhile, midfielder Dempsey Arsenault earned MVP 1 notice and 164 leaderboard points after netting a season-high four goals with an assist.

Gilbert closed the MVP trio by garnering MVP 3 distinction on the strength of three goals to close the game with 128 points.

Goalkeeper Britt Read made 10 saves, including six in the final three periods, to anchor Team Apuzzo’s defensive effort.

Three different players scored two goals for Team Moreno, while goalkeeper Taylor Moreno notched 13 saves in the loss.

KEY MOMENT

Team Apuzzo trailed by a 9-4 margin with 1:55 remaining in the third quarter before mounting its comeback. Gilbert closed the third quarter scoring with her third goal before Arsenault tallied three of the next four markers to even the game at 9-9. Gilbert completed the comeback with an unassisted tally with 2:45 remaining.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Despite the loss, Moreno remains at the top of the leaderboard, but is ahead of Apuzzo by just six points heading into the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader between Team Johansen and Team Colson.

GAME NOTES

• Each of the last three games have been decided by a one-point margin … There have now been six games decided by one point, including a pair of 10-9 results.

• Team Apuzzo outshot Team Moreno by a 29-22 margin, including a 14-10 count in the second half.

• Team Apuzzo also held a commanding 15-7 advantage in draw controls, including an 8-4 edge in the second half.

• Attacker Izzy McMahon has scored all 10 of her goals over the last five games following a two-goal performance in the loss for Team Moreno.

• Moreno surpassed the 100-save mark for the season and set the Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse single-season saves mark, surpassing the 100 saves by Read last summer … Moreno, who has double-digit saves in each of the last seven outings, closed Week Three with 104 saves in nine games.

• Midfielder Grace Griffin registered a game-high four caused turnovers.

GAME MVPS

• #1 – Dempsey Arsenault (Team Apuzzo, +45)
• #2 – Sam Apuzzo (Team Apuzzo, +30)
• #3 – Lauren Gilbert (Team Apuzzo, +15)