The University of Vermont women’s lacrosse team opened their conference slate at home against the University of Albany March 26.

The Cats fell short, falling to Albany 18-6.

The Catamounts began strong in the first half, with junior attacker Meredith Moore answering each of Albany’s goals, and tying the game 2-2, four minutes into the game.

But then Albany pulled away, finishing the first half with a score of 12-2.

“The first half put us at a big disadvantage,” head coach Jen Johnson said.

“I’d be surprised if we had maybe a minute possession time during the first half,” she said. “They’re a good team. If you give them as many opportunities as we did, they’re going to score.”

In the second half, UVM held Albany to a score of 6-4, but were unable to compensate for the first half, ending with a final tally of 18-6.

“There were some positives,” Johnson said. “We could have quit, but we did persevere.”

It was the Catamounts’ first game under the new lights, which were installed at Virtue Field in the fall.

UVM was the last America East school to install lights on their field, and with the lights, the Cats’ can now host night games according to an Oct. 6 Vermont Cynic article.

A large fan turnout produced a “great atmosphere” for the game, Johnson said.

The team had a lot of energy during warmups and early onin the game, she said, “but we just kind of fell short possession-wise.”

Vermont made two shots with under six minutes left in the game, but both were saved.

At the end of the first half, Vermont had four shots on goal, while Albany had 13.

“We just didn’t take care of our shots,” Johnson said, “and we turned the ball over.”

The Catamounts gained momentum as the second half progressed.

Junior midfielder Brynne Yarraton scored a goal six minutes in, followed by a goal from senior midfielder Vanessa VanderZalm.

Vermont’s second-half push was evident within the first 10 minutes of the half.

Following the goals from Yarraton and VanderZalm, Vermont scored again seven minutes into the second half, making the game 15-5.

Junior attacker Alex Bernier finished the game strong for the Catamounts, scoring the final goal of the game with a minute to spare.

Despite opening the America East Conference with a home loss, the Catamounts are looking ahead, hosting Manhattan College March 30.

“We’re going to learn from it and move on,” Johnson said.

“This game pointed out the emphasis on possession time, and how important it is to not only win the draw, but to take care of the ball afterwards,” she said.