By Matt Cain
Contributor
Midfielder Amelia Mansfield, a senior, takes control of the ball.
The Women’s Lacrosse team picked up a pivotal win in NE10 conference play, defeating Southern New Hampshire University, 15-11, in a high-energy matchup. With the victory, the Owls improved to 7-3 on the season and evened their conference record at 2-2, keeping pace in a competitive league race.
Even with the cold and windy conditions, the action started fast and furious, with the Owls coming out of the gates firing on all cylinders. Standout attacker Allie Palmer and attack/midfielder Macy Vail, both juniors, ignited the offense early, scoring the first two goals of the game and assisting each other in a seamless display of chemistry.
Their early contributions helped jump out to an early 4-1 lead by the end of the first quarter. Although the Penmen managed to sneak in a goal before the period concluded, the momentum was clearly with the Owls.
“We scouted them with a couple of new offensive game plans we’ve been working on,” Palmer said after the game. “We just wanted to stay focused and execute what we practiced.”
The second quarter continued the fast-paced scoring trend. Southern New Hampshire struck first in the frame, narrowing the gap, but the Owls quickly answered. Attack Jordan Fisher, a senior, found the back of the net shortly after, reestablishing the lead and keeping the Owls in control of the tempo.
“The defense was what we normally do. Just keep the pressure and high intensity,” midfielder Bailey McDermott, a junior, said. “Working as a unit and communicating.”
From there, both teams traded goals in an intense back-and-forth battle, but the Owls maintained their composure and capitalized on key possessions down the stretch. Solid teamwork, smart ball movement and clutch finishes sealed the deal for the university in one of their most important games of the season thus far.
Southern New Hampshire added their fifth goal of the game, but the Owls quickly responded. McDermott notched her third goal of the day, continuing her strong performance and also giving her a hat trick. Just a minute later, attack/midfielder Maddox Burton, a sophomore, delivered a highlight-reel moment, firing a behind-the-back shot into the net for her first goal of the game, pushing the Owls’ lead to 10-5. The Penmen managed to close the quarter with two more goals, narrowing the gap, but the Owls still held a 10-7 lead heading into the final frame.
The Penmen managed to rally a comeback in the last seven minutes of the game, mostly due to draw control. The Owls have been one of the better teams in the at winning the draw as midfielder Amelia Mansfield, a senior, leads them in draws.
Although the Penmen cut the lead down, the Owls managed to pull out the victory.
One NE10 victory is nice, but winning on senior day days later is sweet because it extends their winning streak to three in a row. They turn to Pace University on Tuesday, April 8 looking to tie their single season record for wins in the program with nine set in 2023.
