By: Elmira College Athletics
IRVING, TX -- A first-half offensive outburst and a smothering defensive performance in the second half earned the Elmira College women's lacrosse team its first win of the 2020 campaign on Tuesday evening, as the Soaring Eagles downed the University of Dallas by a final score of 19-7.
EC (1-1) tallied a whopping 19 goals against the Crusaders (0-2), as six different players found the back of the net. Rachael Goetz '20 led the charge for the Purple and Gold with a career-high-tying eight goals. Sophomore Mikayla Carfello '22 added six goals and an assist, while rookie Kendra Heath '23 tallied the first two goals of her career. Jena Gatto '20, Kate Gibson '20 and Frankie Puglisi '23 rounded out EC's scorers with one goal apiece.
Krystyna Lilland '22 and Alex Cox '23 split time in goal for the Soaring Eagles, as Lilland posted three saves while Cox registered five and earned the victory in her debut in goal.
Despite a back-and-forth first half, the Soaring Eagles seized the lead at 3-2 off of a man-up goal from Goetz and never relinquished their grasp on the contest. Both sides continued to trade goals as time wore on, Puglisi buried a feed from Heath top put Elmira up 10-4 with a little over three minutes left to play. Dallas tacked on three goals before the end of the half, but Gatto had the final say for the Purple and Gold with 39 seconds on the clock to send EC into the break up, 12-7.
The Soaring Eagles ratcheted up their defensive pressure in the second half, as they held the Crusaders scoreless for the final 30 minutes of action. EC dominated control of the ball to the tune of a 16-to-6 advantage in shots, while Cox registered all five of her saves in the second stanza. Elmira's defensive approach didn't limit its offensive chances however, as the Soaring Eagles posted seven unanswered goals throughout the second half to seal the victory.
In her own words...
Head coach
Rebecca Lampson talked about the team's first victory of the 2020 campaign...
"It feels great to have our first win of the season early on and against an opponent we haven't played before! Our offense worked together well, setting each other up for success. When we needed someone to drive, everyone else cleared through, and when we needed cutters, we were able to find them in the right spots. We came out stronger and more confident in the second half. Our offense continued to connect, and our defense took some risks to get the ball back. Alex (Cox) also had some great saves and breakaway clears that allowed us to push the tempo. Overall we played together and supported each other very well throughout the game."
News and Notes
- Elmira outshout Dallas, 34-to-18.
- EC was 31-of-38 (81.6%) on its clear attempts, while Dallas was 20-for-34 (58.8%).
- Goetz tied her career-high with 8 goals.
- Goetz picked up a team-best six ground balls.
- Carfello tallied seven points on six assists and one goal.
- Carfello and Goetz each recorded their second consecutive multi-goal outing.
- Heath registered a game-best four assists.
- Heath and Puglisi scored the first goals of their careers.
- Cox made five saves and earned her first win in her debut in goal.
Up Next
The Soaring Eagles continue their season-opening road trip on Wednesday, February 26, when they head to Utica, New York, to battle the SUNY Poly Wildcats. The contest is scheduled for a 5:00 p.m. start.