For Women’s Lax, First Win is
Sweet by Ian Haynes
The
Oberlin College women’s lacrosse team got their first taste of
victory as they defeated the University of Puget Sound (Wash.) 8-2
to close out their spring break trip, after a season-opening loss to
Indiana University of Pennsylvania and two losses in California. The
win, and a loss at Denison this past Wednesday, moved Oberlin’s
record to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in the North Coast Athletic
Conference.
“I
think that our team really gelled in that game because at the
beginning of the week, we had a couple of rough games. After having
lost a couple of strong players, with newcomers playing new
positions, we played extremely well,” senior Laura Kent-Monning said
of the team’s victory at the University of Puget Sound.
With a
young and relatively inexperienced team, the Yeowomen have relied on
an array of underclassmen to support the two sole upperclassmen,
Kent-Monning and junior Briana Quinn. Sophomore Maggie Douglas and
first-year Anna Ialeggio have provided much needed scoring while
sophomore Alexis Stoller, the goalkeeper last season, has been asked
to move out of the net and help man the defense. First-year Sarah
Pilzer has stepped into goal and played every minute in the first
five games.
The
Yeowomen traveled to neighboring Pennsylvania to take on Division II
opponent IUP on March 16. Oberlin fell in the season opener 19-6,
but the game did have its bright spots. After a first half in which
many of the first-years undoubtedly had butterflies in their
stomachs, the Yeowomen came out and played a solid second half.
Senior Selena Kansal, who is no longer with the team, scored the
only goal for the Yeowomen in the first half. In the second half,
though, Ialeggio got the scoring started for Oberlin with her first
collegiate goal. Douglas followed with two more goals before
first-year Victoria Clark got in on the action with her first goal.
Douglas added one more goal to end the Yeowomen’s scoring. Pilzer
recorded 27 saves in her first game in goal for Oberlin.
On
March 24, the Yeowomen battled Whittier University in the first game
of their California spring break trip. Oberlin fell in a heart
breaker 5-4. After taking a 3-2 lead into the half, the Yeowomen
managed just one goal in the second half. Douglas scored a goal and
had an assist while Ialeggio scored her second goal of the season.
Kent-Monning and Quinn both scored a goal in the loss. In the net,
Pilzer tallied 13 saves. Two days later on March 26, Oberlin took
on host school, the University of Redlands. The Yeowomen managed
just three goals in the game, falling 12-3. Scoring for Oberlin were
Kent-Monning, Douglas and Clark. Pilzer had 16 saves in the
game.
In
their last game in California the Yeowomen took on University of
Puget Sound from Washington State. The Yeowomen easily handled their
opponents, winning by a score of 8-2. Kent-Monning played an
outstanding game, scoring four of Oberlin’s eight goals. Ialeggio
tossed in two goals while Clark and Douglas each added one. Quinn
racked up an assist on Kent-Monning’s last goal. Pilzer stopped 17
shots in goal while holding Puget Sound to a mere two
goals.
“After
the two losses, it was really good how we rallied together as a team
to get the win before coming back to Oberlin,” Quinn said. “Everyone
played well, especially with it being such a young team.”
Most
recently, the Yeowomen traveled to Denison to compete in their first
NCAC game. After a competitive first half with the Big Red, Oberlin
struggled in the latter half, finally falling 12-4. Ialeggio again
scored two goals for the Yeowomen while Kent-Monning and Douglas
each added one. Clark and Ialeggio each had one assist in the game.
Pilzer stopped 15 shots in the loss.
Douglas
is the leader in points scored through the first five games with
eight. Kent-Monning and Ialeggio each have seven. Douglas and
Kent-Monning are tied for the lead in goals with seven while
Ialeggio has six and Clark has three. Pilzer has 88 saves on the
season and a .638 save percentage. First-year Andrea Hawkins leads
in ground balls controlled with 15 followed by Stoller with 13 and
Quinn with 12. Sophomores Chelsea Wallis and Susie Armitage and
first-years Annie Gaus, Allison Evans, and Yukiko Shishikura have
contributed high minute totals for the Yeowomen.
The
team will take on Wittenberg in Springfield, Ohio this
Saturday.
Channing Joseph contributed to this
report. |