Jaylen Carr – Sports Editor
Attack Bayleigh Takacs, a graduate student, broke four records on the April 1 matchup against Franklin Pierce University, with two being all-time assist records and others scoring.
Takacs became the all-time assist leader in Owl history in the first quarter when she assisted on the Owls’ first score by attack Karli Rowe, a graduate student. The record was held by former player Carol Keal who had 55 career assists. Takacs had six assists in the game, which broke the record for most assists in a single game.
“It was a good day,” Takacs said. “It’s my mom’s birthday, so I’m glad she’s here.”
Takacs also broke two other records by scoring 11 points, leading the team. She set her career high in points with five and six assists which helped her to break a 16-year-old scoring record by Allison Kownacki, who had 10 points in a single game.
So far this season, Takacs has 22 goals and 22 assists, leading the team in both categories.
“The assist, I can’t do it without my teammates catching the ball and finishing,” Takacs said. “As much it’s me putting it in their stick, it’s them catching it and finishing it, so it is all a team effort.”
With Takacs’s historic day, the Owls fought off a comeback in the third quarter by Franklin Pierce. Pierce outscored the Owls in the third quarter, but the Owls closed the final quarter by scoring unanswered goals.
“That was the game that we’ve been waiting to have,” head coach Kevin Siedlecki said. “We just put our foot on the gas and had that instinct that we’ve been looking for all season.”
Siedlecki said he liked the fact that the team could put the game away in the fourth quarter by outscoring Franklin Pierce. Unlike the previous win against American International College, Siedlecki said the team could not finish the game and kept American International in the game.
“As a team, we really worked together, and we moved the ball well around on offense; we trusted each other to catch the ball, trusted each other to take the right shot,” Takacs said. “We have all the confidence in the world on defense.”
Goalkeeper Caelan Connors, a freshman, had six saves in the game, pushing her total to 78 saves in the season. Rowe helped the Owls in scoring by five goals and one assist.
“I thought we played really well,” Midfield Brianna Shaw, a junior, said. “We came out from the start very strong, and we knew we needed to continue being storing for four quarters and not let up.”
Shaw scored an unassisted goal in the second quarter after attempting four. “I think my role is to win the draw and to place the draw to my circle girls, and that is what we did today.”
Shaw’s 14 draw controls tied the university sing-game record set by Steph Seymour in 2020.
“For us to come up with 10 goal wins there, I feel really good,” Siedlecki said. “Not playing scared and playing to win stead of not playing to lose, and I couldn’t be happier how that fourth quarter went to put them away.”
Siedlecki said the players moved much better offensively in this game compared to the past few games. “We’re moving better, we’re seeing openings, and we’re wearing the defense down.”
Despite the 21-11 win, Siedlecki and the players believe the team can improve in some areas on offense and defense.
“We have to clean it up a little bit, defensively,” Siedlecki said. “They did a very good when they went on their run; they did a good job exposing our zone.”
Siedlecki said Franklin Pierce did a respectable job moving the ball quickly and exposing the team’s zone.
“I think just moving more on offense and setting each other up for success,” Shaw said.
Takacs said the next game against Adelphi University would be challenging. “We can improve on making the right passes sometimes and not rushing our ball.”
The Owls have won their seventh game of the season and their third overall at home. They have their next two games at Jess Dow Field against NE10 competition.
Photo Credits: Luke Molwitz
