Andrew Arnao

Sports Editor

The Bison women’s lacrosse team traveled to Baltimore on Feb. 23 to face off against the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays, its third nationally ranked opponent in a row. The Bison fell to the Blue Jays by a final score of 19-4 and have now suffered three tough losses to start off their season.

“Although the score in Hopkins did not reflect it, I think that our team has made a ton of progress since our first game,” Ryan Wenk ’13 said. “Since our first three opponents were ranked in the top 20 nationally, it has been challenging to run our plays effectively and get good shots off, but with each game we were able to hold on to possession for much longer than in the previous game and play more confidently against the high pressure defenses that we were up against.”

The Blue Jays greeted the Orange and Blue with furious offensive assault to start off the game and shot their way to an 8-0 lead in the first 20 minutes. The Bison managed to get on the board with 9:20 left in the first half on a goal by Emily Becker ’16 and later added another goal on a free position shot by Emily Kookogey ’15, but the Orange and the Blue still faced a 10-point deficit as they headed into halftime down 12-2.

The second half was not much kinder to the Bison, though the defense managed to contain the Blue Jays to only seven goals. Wenk and Madison Hurwitz ’13 added individual goals to close out the scoring for the Orange and Blue. Despite finishing with 12 draw controls, only one less than Johns Hopkins, the Bison were plagued by turnovers, losing the ball 28 times compared to only 19 times for the Blue Jays.

Going forward, Wenk believes that there is reason for the team to be optimistic.

“Our goalie [Caroline O’Neill ’15] has really been holding her own against some of the best teams in the country. Our defense has really come together as well,” Wenk said. “This week in practice we have focused a ton on our offensive plays and moving the ball quickly.”

Hurtwitz also believes the team will soon find success. “I am extremely confident in my teammates and believe wholeheartedly that we will get our first W on the road this weekend in DC,” Hurwitz said. “We are better than we have been in four years as everyone is stepping up, contributing greatly, and playing with passion and heart everyday.”

The Bison will look to apply what they have learned as they continue their road stretch against George Mason and George Washington this weekend.