Women's Lax Dominate in Vacation Match-ups

Author: Kate Nerenberg

Coming out of a week full of hard work in the Florida sun, the women's lacrosse team is still undefeated with a record of 4-0. It remains the top-ranked team in Division III where it has been since the preseason polls came out.

During the week before break, the Panthers picked up two New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) wins over Wesleyan and Connecticut College. On Thursday, March 21, in their home opener, Middlebury was not prepared for the immediate strength of the Wesleyan Cardinals.

In the first three minutes, the Panthers were down 2-0. Just 35 seconds after the second goal, Kristin Hanley '03 found the back of the net to jump start a three-goal scoring run that put the Panthers up by one goal. Cardinal Martina McPherson would score the last goal of the half for Wesleyan with 22 minutes remaining. Led by senior Julia Bergofsky's three first half goals, Middlebury scored six unanswered goals and took a 9-3 commanding halftime lead.

The Panthers would not let down despite their lead. Just 14 seconds into the second half, Nuala O'Donohoe '04 put Middlebury up 10-3. After Bergofsky's fourth goal, O'Donohoe struck again, off an assist from Beth Seely '05 just three minutes later. The Cardinals answered with two goals midway through the half to bring them within seven goals.

Their efforts, however, were not enough as Middlebury scored twice more before the end of the game. Both Katie Simpson '03 and Caitlin McCormick '05 put the ball in the back of the net unassisted. The Panthers went on to win 14-6 despite one last goal by the Cardinals.

Two days later, the Panthers improved to 3-0 while handing Connecticut College their first loss of the season. Repeat performers Hanley, Bergofsky and O'Donohoe each scored three goals in the first half, leading the team to an authoritative 12-2 halftime lead.

Stifling any hopes the Camels may have had, the Panthers sealed the win with five more goals in the second half, to win the game 17-5. Char Glessner '03.5 had two goals and four assists and Simpson scored once and assisted on three goals.

Head coach Missy Foote attributes much of her team's success to their ability to deliver the ball at the right time: "We have a number of players who can score and a number of players who look to assist, but I think the key to our wins was great passing."

Although the team only had one game while in Florida over break, they were able to accomplish many aspects of their game that the Vermont weather has not permitted, Foote said. Specifically, the "defense began to come together, we learned some new offensive plays and, most importantly, the team started coming together as a group."

This was extremely apparent in the Panthers complete domination of the University of Scranton, handing the Pensylvania school a 24-7 loss. O'Donohoe led the team with six goals, while Bergofsky ended with four, with Glessner and Dalton Cox '03 each registering three. In goal, Sarah Grenert '04 and Johanna Rosenfield '05 combined for five saves.

After today's game against Union, the Panthers have their work cut out for them for the rest of the week, in anticipation of a huge weekend. Saturday, the team travels to Massachusetts to face NESCAC foe Amherst, a team that lost to Middlebury by one goal in overtime in the NCAA championships last year. On Sunday, the Panthers return home to take on Tufts, another one of the strong NESCAC contenders.