In their final home game of the season, the AU women’s lacrosse team went out with a bang.
The Eagles (8-7, 3-3) defeated the Liberty University Flames (5-9, 2-4) 23-3 Tuesday afternoon on Senior Day, setting a program record for most goals in a game and largest margin of victory. Prior to Tuesday, the record for most goals scored and largest margin of victory came in a 1997 game against the Duquesne University Dukes when the Eagles won 21-4.
The three goals American allowed were the fewest the Eagles have given up in seven years.
Aside from team records, personal records were reached in the 20-goal victory. Kimberly Collins tied her career-high with five goals in the game, and is now second on the team with 25 goals. Emily Burton also notched a career-high four goals.
Bernadette Maher and Chiara Speziale each picked up three goals, and senior Lisa Schaaf finished with two goals and four assists in the blowout.
Nine AU players scored at least once in the victory. In all, 10 Eagles registered at least one point in the contest.
Among the defensive leaders were senior Brit Ferguson, with 2 ground balls and 2 caused turnovers, and Paige Lin and Emily Burton, who each had 2 ground balls and a caused turnover. Kaska Komosinski made three saves on six shots in just over 50 minutes in goal.
AU had the game under control after the first five minutes, when it opened by scoring four straight goals. After Jen Freymond scored for Liberty five minutes into the first half, the Eagles scored the next eight goals to take a 14-1 lead into halftime.
Burton scored three of her four goals in the opening 30 minutes, including a stretch midway through the first half when she scored twice within a span of 30 seconds.
The story was the same after halftime, as AU continued to attack. The Eagles outscored the Flames 9-2 in the second half for the 23-3 final.
AU will finish up its regular season on Saturday, April 23, when the team travels to Davidson, N.C., to take on the Davidson Wildcats. The Wildcats are 4-10 on the year with a 3-3 mark in the National Lacrosse Conference.
The Eagles have clinched a spot in the Patriot League Tournament and will enter as the No. 4 seed. The tournament will start on Friday, April 29, and AU’s opponent will be determined this weekend when Patriot League action wraps up.
ttomea@theeagleonline.com
