Richmond, Va. -- The George Mason women's lacrosse team fell in a mid-afternoon match by the score of 21-11 to host VCU in the Atlantic 10 opener for both squads.
 
Mason couldn't find the offensive rhythm in the second half against one of the top defensive teams in the NCAA. The Rams had two offensive runs to cushion its lead outscoring Mason 11-2 in the final period. The Patriots drop to 1-7 overall, while the Rams improve to 5-3.
 
Grad student Olivia O'Brien paced Mason with three goals and dominated the draw controls with 12 of the Patriots 17 total draws to lead Mason.
 
A trio of Patriots scored two goals apiece, Lauren Distad, Ioanna Mantzouratos, and Shannon Tuozzo. Mantzouratos added three ground balls and two caused turnovers in the contest.
 
The Patriots struck first with a goal by Morgan Gunn, her sixth goal of the season at 12:24, in the opening stanza. VCU rattled off seven of the next eight goals before the Patriots charged back with the final four goals of the half, including two by Lauren Distad, to cut the Rams lead to 7-6 going into the break.
 
The teams played even with three goals apiece in the third period. The final period began with a Mason goal by Shannon Tuozzo to tie the game at 10-10 less than one minute into second-half action.
 
Mason pelted the Rams with 28 shots on goal, but the NCAA's second ranked goalkeeper in saves, Megha Dawar, turned away 17 attempts.  Mason starter Meghan Deehan had 15 saves of her own on 36 Rams shots on goal.
 
Mason scored on two of four free position goals, both in the first half. VCU scored on 5-of-10 attempts. The Patriots were efficient on clears (16-of-19) today with Izzy Allen leading the charge.
 
The Patriots hit the road for a Sunday tilt with Davidson at 1 p.m. at Richardson Stadium in North Carolina.