Women’s lacrosse makes history with win over American

Lauren Whelan, Co-Sports Editor

For the first time since the 1998 season, the women’s lacrosse team entered double-digits in their season win column with a 12-8 victory over American, bringing their overall record to 10-3. Led on the offense by Gretchen Richter ’18 who had four goals on the day, the Bison topped American on both ends of the field. Defensively, Katherine Doyle ’18 was a strong force to contend with, causing two turnovers and marking an assist—her first career point. Eve Lukowski ’18 scored three times for the Bison, while Christina Manis ’17, Maddy Molinari ’17, and Sam Rickels ’16 rounded out the score for the Bison. Lukowski now ranks eighth in most single-season points in program history, with this game bringing her to 53 this season.

The Bison had a double-figure score for the ninth time in their 13 games this season, a testament to their strong offensive force. This was particularly notable when the Orange and Blue jumped ahead 5-0 in the beginning of the game to gain some momentum that they were able to maintain throughout. In addition to her scoring, Richter also had crucial contributions in the midfield, grabbing an impressive six draw controls to help with the possession for the Bison. Richter currently holds the record for most draw controls in a season, which she set last spring, and is approaching her own record of 84 with 58 thus far.

One of the largest factors in the win for the Orange and Blue was the forced turnovers; the team forced 18 overall, with Annie Gilbertson ’17 playing a crucial role and causing four by herself. While the Eagles rallied to bring themselves back to only a two-goal deficit, the Bison stood strong and were able to hold off American through the end of the game.

This win is extremely important for the Bison, as it keeps them at the top of the Patriot League standings, tied in second place with Lehigh with a conference record of 4-1. Loyola lies just ahead with a perfect 5-0 record in Patriot League play.

“We went into it knowing it was a huge game and with the goal of winning and proving people wrong. I think the way we played really mirrored that mentality. We know every game is a big game so we worked our hardest leading up to it,” Mary Margaret Kenney ’18 said.

The Bison will face Colgate on April 16 at 2 p.m.

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