The AU women’s lacrosse team beat the Davidson College Wildcats 10-4 on Sunday, a victory that marked the final home game of the team’s regular season. It was also the final game that the team’s five seniors would play at Jacobs Field.
Honored at the start of the game were seniors Maeve Koch, Amanda Makoid, Alyssa Romano, Lisa Schaaf and Frankie Solomon. The players left their mark on Jacobs Field with a combined four goals, six points and seven saves from Solomon.
The team’s underclassmen also contributed to the win, with freshman Samantha Marshall collecting two assists and sophomore Emily Burton scoring three goals for a total of four points in the game.
From the start, AU seniors set the tone of the match. Both teams came out strong on the defensive end, drawing turnovers and fouls as they used their sticks to knock the ball loose from the opposition. Seven minutes into the first half, patience and sound passing by the Eagles netted the first goal of the match by Schaaf.
“[Schaaf] really controls the attack,” said Schaaf’s teammate and roommate Solomon. “Today she was able to combine that control of attack and letting people know what’s up, and really having that senior presence with a stellar shot.”
Schaaf’s goal unleashed AU’s offensive potential and paved the way for the next four goals of the half. Off a pass from fellow senior Makoid, Koch placed the ball crisply into the back of the net seconds after Schaaf’s goal. Three minutes later, Schaaf scored her second goal of the game, increasing the Eagles’ lead to 3-0. An unassisted goal by Makoid less than a minute later further increased Davidson’s deficit.
The Wildcats scored their lone goal of the half with 13 minutes left to play, a goal that scratched an otherwise spotless performance by Solomon in the cage. AU’s Burton retaliated with the final goal of the half off a penalty shot. At the end of the period, the score 5-1, both teams retreated to their respective benches to prepare for another physical 30 minutes of play.
Schaaf scored 30 seconds into the second half, once again setting the momentum of the match in AU’s favor. Like dominoes, Burton and sophomore Emily Stankiewicz made consecutive goals shortly after, pulling their team further ahead to 8-1. AU freshman Chiara Speziale contributed an unassisted goal of her own
For the remainder of the half, AU was forced to turn its attention to defense as Davidson clawed back into the game. The Wildcats physical attack generated two AU yellow cards and resulted in three unanswered goals in less than four minutes.
Despite the sudden change in play, AU Head Coach Katie Woods did not call a timeout, knowing her team would come together and remind themselves of the “basics of what we are trying to do,” she said.
With five minutes to play in the match and a score of 9-4, AU regained possession of the ball. Cheering her teammates on from the net, Solomon deprived the Wildcats of further goals because “she read the ball well,” Woods said.
The Eagles’ put their final point on the board with 1:25 left to play in the match. Off a pass from sophomore Lauren Schoenberger, Burton laid the ball deep into the back of the net to seal the 10-4 victory.
AU outshot Davidson 28-13, attacking the goal almost twice as many times as the Wildcats in both periods.
The win brings the team’s season record to 6-9 overall and the 2010 senior class has now led the Eagles to 26 wins during their time at AU.
The Eagles will play Holy Cross in their final conference match of the season on Saturday, April 24.
You can reach this staff writer at kgreubel@theeagleonline.com.
