Ajan Caneda

Copy Editor

It was a Senior Day to remember for the women’s lacrosse team as it came away with a hard-fought 10-9 victory against Holy Cross on April 13, earning its first Patriot League win since 2009. The Bison then concluded a solid week by defeating Saint Francis (Pa.) 9-7 on April 16 to earn their third straight victory. Seniors Ryan Wenk, Madison Hurwitz and Adrienne Wendling were honored before the Holy Cross match.

“I’m most proud about leaving this team and program on a better position for the future than what I came into. With so many great girls returning and such great coaches, the future of the program is very bright,” Hurwitz said.

After Holy Cross scored the game’s first two goals in the opening minutes, the Bison responded with four straight goals, including two from Wendling. Caroline O’Neill ’15 made a crucial save, leading to the team’s first possession. Wenk capitalized and dished an assist to Wendling for the Bison’s first goal of the match. Wenk’s tally at the end of the first half gave the Bison the 5-4 edge at halftime.

“Every play was about being as scrappy as possible and leaving it out on the field. Our connections on attack were flawless; I felt as though I heard Wenk to Wendling, Wendling to Wenk numerous times over the loud speaker,” Wendling said.

Holy Cross regained the advantage in the second half, posting two goals. Hurwitz was the catalyst for the offense, assisting Katelyn Miller ’14 and Cori Thielemann ’15 for two more tallies to steal the lead back. The duo of Wenk and Wendling concluded a 3-0 run for the Bison, as Wendling found Wenk for her second goal.

“As a senior unit, we were able to execute what each of us do best. Madison had numerous assists, Ryan was accurate in her shots and I was able to play solid D and maintain composure on attack,” Wendling said.

Holy Cross evened the score at eight with 12:35 remaining in the game. Hurwitz posted her only goal at the 11:05 mark, and Wenk dished the ball to Thielemann, who scored her second goal of the game, to gain a two-goal advantage for the Bison. After the Crusaders made it a one-goal game, the Bison came up huge defensively, as Miller made two critical defensive plays to seal the victory.

“Beating Holy Cross and our celebration on the field after just shows how much of a team we are–from the last girl on the bench to each and every starter–everyone wanted and played a part in that game,” Wendling said.

Against Saint Francis, the Orange and Blue carried a slight 5-4 lead into the half. The Bison scored three straight goals in the second half to open up their largest lead of the game. Kerri Althouse ’14 clinched the match after forcing a turnover that resulted in a goal for Miller. Wenk and Miller each finished with hat tricks, while Hurwitz dished four assists to pace the Bison offense. The team also held strong defensively, forcing 16 Saint Francis turnovers.

The Bison conclude their regular season Saturday when they face Marist in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. at 4 p.m.