Women’s lacrosse uses pace to reach .500
The Saint Joseph’s University women’s lacrosse team stepped up both offensively and defensively to secure a win over the Wagner University Seahawks in their last non-conference game of the season. The victory puts the team at .500 with a 4-4 record leading up to Atlantic 10 conference play.
The Hawks started the game with a burst, scoring four unanswered goals in the first six minutes of play.
Throughout the game, the Hawks used quick restarts and fast transition to push the speed of play.
“We like to always play fast,” Head Coach Alex Kahoe said after the game. “I think it’s always important to come out [strong] offensively. We like to start the scoring to get the momentum.”
Wagner answered St. Joe’s opening scoring spree with two consecutive goals of their own, but unforced turnovers left the Seahawks unable to maintain possession.
“We were the first to almost all the 50/50 balls so that really helped us to get the win,” said junior midfielder Aly Gormley, who was instrumental in the victory over Wagner and scored a career high four goals.
St. Joe’s notched their fifth goal off a fast-break. Forcing a turnover in their defensive zone, the Hawks launched a quick counter attack as graduate Mallory Grey made her way upfield and found freshman Sarah Poli open with a long pass in front of the net.
Gormley scored the last goal of the half for the Hawks as Wagner’s Talia Bouzakis scored the last goal forthe Seahawks. Senior goalkeeper Amelia Deibler came up with a double save on Wagner in the final minutes of the half to keep the score 7-3 going into the locker room.
The Hawks came onto the field in full force again, notching the first goal of the second half. Gormley showed off her speed and tenacity, beating two Wagner defenders to get a clear shot on goal.
Wagner continued to put up a fight as they climbed to a two-goal game, down 9-7. The Seahawks’ goalie stood up against the barrage of shots, finishing with 17 saves. However, Wagner’s defense couldn’t contain the offensive pressure of St. Joe’s, led by Gormley who notched her career-high fourth goal with 11:11 left in the game.
The Hawks soared to a comfortable 13-8 win as freshman Hope Anhut scored a goal on the doorstep with 14 seconds left on the clock to seal the game.
“I think we came out hard and I was proud of them,” Kahoe said. “Different people stepped up offensively and finished plays. I think our team has definitely shown a lot of resiliency. They’ve worked really hard and stepped up in many areas. And you know we’re excited to move forward as we begin A-10 play. I think this is a great game and I think it is a great win for our team. It’s definitely good momentum for us going forward.”
Gormley was very proud of her team and the determination they showed throughout the game.
“It feels great but it came a lot from my teammates. It was just a full team effort today,” Gormley said in regards to her performance in a breakthrough game. “I just hope to push my teammates because like I said it’s always a full team effort so I want to help them succeed so we can all get the W. It was a great last non-conference game and it just really sets the tone for going into the A-10 so we’re really excited.”
The St. Joe’s men’s lacrosse team dropped their NEC opener 8-7 against the Bryant University Bulldogs. The Bulldogs dominated late in the third quarter and in the opening minutes of the fourth, scoring three goals to go up 7-4 after a previously even scoreline. The Hawks tried to mount a comeback as they put the game within one, but time expired before they could get a shot off to even the score. Senior goalkeeper T.J. Jones recorded nine saves, including four in the last quarter.
The St. Joe’s women’s lacrosse team faces Davidson College on March 31 at 3 p.m. at Sweeney Field. The men’s team will host Robert Morris University at Sweeney Field at 1 p.m. on April 1.
