RICHMOND, Va. — Howard lacrosse fell 18–3 to VCU Wednesday afternoon, as the Rams used a fast start and sustained pressure to control the matchup at Cary Street Field.

Howard struck first in the opening quarter when sophomore attacker Kyla Newkirk (Durham, N.C.) found the back of the net at the 11:03 mark for her first goal of the season, giving the Bison a 1–0 lead. VCU responded quickly, however, scoring six times in the final 10 minutes of the period to take a 6–2 advantage. Junior attacker Vanessa Ronsholdt (Stafford, Va.) added Howard's second goal of the quarter with just under four minutes remaining.

The Rams continued to build momentum in the second frame, scoring five unanswered goals to extend their lead to 11–2 at the half. HU goalkeeper London James-Golas (Annapolis, Md.) kept the Bison within reach early, making several key saves against free-position attempts, but VCU capitalized on multiple man-up opportunities to widen the gap.

VCU added three more goals in the third quarter, including one man-down, to push the lead to 14–2. Howard generated several defensive stops during the period, highlighted by caused turnovers from Gabrielle Nelson (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Kendall Barker (Columbus, Ohio), while James-Golas and sophomore goalkeeper Taylor Williams (West Chester, Pa.) combined to limit the Ram charge.

Ronsholdt recorded her second goal of the game early in the fourth quarter, converting a free-position opportunity at the 3:59 mark to account for the Bison's final score. The Rams answered with four more goals down the stretch to close out the 18–3 final.

Ronsholdt finished with a team-high two goals, while Newkirk added one goal on one shot. James-Golas totaled 10 saves in 39:30 of action, and Williams recorded three saves over the final 20:30. Howard was edged in shots (40–8) and draw controls (17–7), while committing 23 turnovers on the afternoon.

The Bison return to action Saturday, Feb. 14, when they travel to Philadelphia, Pa., to face La Salle at 1 p.m.

For more information on Howard Lacrosse visit the official Howard Athletics page www.HUBison.com.