April 15, 2017
Box Score
EASTON, Pa. ÃÆ'Æ’¢ÃÆ'¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡¬ÃÆ'¢Ã¢â€š¬Ã…â€Å" On the back of six goals apiece from senior Kirsten Wilhelmsen and sophomore Jane Kirby, the Lafayette women's lacrosse team clinched a spot in the Patriot League Tournament with a 21-15 win over Holy Cross on Saturday afternoon at Fisher Stadium.
The playoff berth is Lafayette's first since the 2013 season, but home-field advantage is still in sights for the Maroon and White. The Leopards currently sit in a tie for second in the Patriot League standings with their three toughest possible opponents still left on the schedule. Six teams will be eligible for postseason play, with the top two earning a first-round bye and the three and four seeds hosting quarterfinal games.
"Clinching this early is definitely not something we're used to, but it definitely takes some pressure off of us rather than having to beat Loyola or beat Navy down the stretch to get in," Wilhelmsen said. "It allows us to have some time to hone in on what we're doing, what we're good at and improve our skills."
The Leopards' offensive prowess was on display as sophomore Emma Novick joined Wilhelmsen and Kirby as the third Lafayette player to tally four or more goals on the day with four of her own. Senior Charlotte Rath and junior Kristin Schaen each chipped in with two, while sophomore Hannah Davey added one.
"We have a really talented attack that can put up exceptional numbers and I think our kids work extremely hard in transition," head coach Alison Fisher added. "The individuals in our offensive unit take a lot of pride in working off and with one another, and they've certainly honed their shooting skills to make sure that when they have a good look, they know it's going in the back of the net."
The Maroon and White offense was able to get off 44 shots on the day compared to 31 from their opponents, and put 32 of those shots on target. Holy Cross goalies Julia Maloney and Julianna Kubler kept the Crusaders in it throughout the day, combining for 11 saves between the pipes.
The Leopards also dominated the possession battle with Schaen controlling the circle to the tune of a 26-12 draw-control edge. Wilhelmsen and Davey each picked up eight draw controls, while Schaen grabbed five of her own.
The game was evenly played throughout the first half as the lead changed hands four times in the opening 19 minutes of action. A Novick tally with 10:59 left in the first half put the Leopards ahead for good, though, as markers from Rath and Kirby with less than 21 seconds to play moved the game into the break with Lafayette on top, 9-6.
Holy Cross opened the second-half scoring less than three minutes in, but the Leopards responded with four of the next five to open up a five-goal advantage at 13-8 with 21:20 remaining. That run seemed to put the game in a comfort zone for the home side as the Crusaders never got closer than a four-goal margin throughout the remainder of the game as Lafayette cruised to its 10th victory by a 21-15 final.
The win improves the Leopards to 10-4 on the year overall and 5-1 in Patriot League action. All three Leopard goalies saw time, with sophomore Allie Abacherli picking up her fifth win of the year with four saves in 30 minutes of action.
Next up for the Maroon and White is the all-important rivalry matchup with Lehigh on Wednesday. Opening draw from Fisher Stadium is set for 7 p.m.
