By J.T. Mitchell
Staff Writer
After huge wins over Carthage College and Ohio Northern University, the Sewanee women’s lacrosse team improved their overall record to 6-1.
On March 6, the Tigers’ offense exploded, leading to a 12-4 defeat over the Carthage College Reds in large part due to hat-tricks from attackman Preston Cooper (C’19) and midfielder Anna Comer (C’19).
The score was tied 2-2 after seven minutes had passed in the first period, until the Tigers responded with seven goals in 12 minutes to push the lead to 9-2. A man-up goal, meaning one less player for Sewanee due to a yellow card, for the Reds came at the 9:40 mark, cutting the deficit down to six before the Tigers scored three consecutive goals to close out the half.
Three second-half goals were enough to crush any remaining comeback hopes that Carthage may have had, but the Sewanee defense was the real story of the day, as it has been all season.
“I think one of our biggest strengths [this season] as a team is the ability to re-defend,” midfielder Catherine Crigler (C’19) said. “We are able to stop the other team and slow them down in the midfield, helping us work together as a team.”
The defense was even better than usual, holding Carthage to twelve shots and forcing 34 turnovers. Goalie Brianna Young (C’19) would pick up the win with two first-half saves, improving her record on the season to 2-1.
After a quick turnaround, the team was back in action on March 7 against Ohio Northern University. Once again, both the offense and defense were phenomenal, resulting in a 15-1 blowout.
Once the opening whistle blew, Sewanee never looked back, jumping out to an early 10-0 lead over Ohio Northern. The Sewanee defense held the Polar Bears to a mere eight shots in the contest, allowing one goal with 6:40 remaining in the contest.
The scoring for Sewanee was very evenly spread out with five players each accounting for two goals: Crigler, Comer, Sarah Strand (C’21), Alden Woolford (C’18), and Mary Kate Myers (C’20). Goalie Amanda Jenkins (C’21) earned the win with two saves on two shots.
“We have really been clicking as a team lately and that’s definitely shown in our games,” Cooper said. “All around, we have been playing with the necessary poise and confidence.”
The two-midweek wins were huge for Sewanee, because it was not only the team’s fourth win in five days, but it extended their win streak to six games. The Tigers will continue their homestand against Transylvania on Sunday, March 11, which will be senior night, recognizing the contributions of seniors Woolford, Molly Elkins, and Kit Sommi.