Charlotte women’s lacrosse scores twice late but loses 11-10 to unbeaten Coastal Carolina at home

Charlotte’s rally compresses final margin after costly fourth-quarter swing

Charlotte’s women’s lacrosse team produced a frantic finish Wednesday, but a two-goal burst in the final minute was not enough to erase a late deficit in an 11-10 loss to Coastal Carolina at Jerry Richardson Stadium in Charlotte. The result left Charlotte at 1-3, while Coastal Carolina improved to 4-0.

Charlotte led 2-0 after the opening quarter, holding Coastal Carolina scoreless for the first 15 minutes while getting early goals from Isabella Castelino (2:15) and Brooke Alessandrini (3:30). The game’s rhythm shifted in the second quarter as Coastal Carolina scored three goals in a 1:27 span (11:35 to 10:08) to move in front, triggering a back-and-forth stretch that carried into halftime.

Second quarter decides early momentum, third quarter restores balance

Charlotte answered Coastal Carolina’s surge with a 3-1 run that included goals from Aly Prasinos and Katie Gorski, and another from Isa Torres to take a 5-4 lead with under six minutes remaining in the half. Coastal Carolina responded again, closing the second quarter on a 3-1 run and taking a 7-6 lead into the break after a free-position goal with 18 seconds left.

The third quarter featured tighter defending and significant goalkeeping from Charlotte. Coastal Carolina scored 34 seconds after the restart, but Charlotte limited the Chanticleers to that single goal in the period. Gorski scored to pull Charlotte closer, and Torres tied the game at 8-8 with five minutes left in the third.

Penalty sequence creates separation; Charlotte’s late goals narrow the gap

The decisive separation came in the fourth quarter with the score still tied. Charlotte received a non-releasable penalty with 5:25 remaining, and Coastal Carolina converted before scoring again 10 seconds later to open a two-goal advantage. A third Coastal Carolina goal at 4:11 pushed the margin to 11-8 and forced Charlotte into a late, urgent chase.

Charlotte’s comeback attempt materialized in the final 23 seconds. Brenna Romanello converted a free-position shot with 23 seconds remaining, and Torres added her fourth goal with five seconds left to cut it to one. Charlotte had one last chance on the ensuing draw, but could not generate the equalizer before time expired.

Key numbers and standout performances

• Final: Coastal Carolina 11, Charlotte 10 (Charlotte led 2-0 after 1; trailed 7-6 at half; tied 8-8 after 3).
• Shots: Coastal Carolina 42, Charlotte 27.
• Draw controls: Coastal Carolina 14, Charlotte 8.
• Charlotte leaders: Isa Torres 4 goals; Katie Gorski 2 goals and 3 assists (5 points).
• Goalkeeping: Charlotte’s Katie Ling recorded 12 saves and finished with a .522 save percentage.

Charlotte returns to action at home on Wednesday, Feb. 25, hosting Campbell with opening draw scheduled for 4 p.m. at Jerry Richardson Stadium.