The coaching personnel overhaul for the women’s lacrosse team was perhaps the most intriguing storyline entering the spring athletics season. With former Captain Amanda Belichick ’07 now at the reins as Head Coach for the Redbirds, the squad already has matched its win total from 2013, barely halfway through the season. Since we last left off, the Cardinals have notched a 5-3 overall record, earning their victories by a resounding average margin of 9.4 goals.
Despite the newfound potency of the Cardinal offense under Belichick, the Birds have not been able to harness their power against NESCAC squads. All three of the Cardinals’ losses have come at the hands of conference foes. However, the fact remains that the Cardinals have been competitive in their three losses, on average losing only by a little fewer than four goals per game. Resting at the bottom of the NESCAC standings, the Cardinals will have the chance to redeem themselves as the remainder of the schedule sports only conference battles.
Currently on a three-game winning streak, the Cardinals have rattled off a string of impressive, shutdown wins as if to say that they are ready for the tough road that lies ahead.
This past Saturday, the Birds defended Smith Field against a visiting squad from Skidmore College. The Cardinals tore up their opponents, scoring seven goals in the second half while not conceding any en route to an 11-1 victory. Midfielder Martha Harding ’16 led the offensive barrage, potting her first goal midway through the first half and following up with three more after the half. The standout performance from the sophomore would bring her goal tally on the season to nine. Also joining in on the fun was the Cardinals’ leading scorer, Meredith Smith ’17, who chipped in her 11th goal on the season for the winning effort with 20 minutes remaining in the first half.
With her team applying consistent pressure on the opposing net, goalie Nina Labovich ’16 picked up an easy victory along with five saves in 50 minutes of play before being relieved by Grace McCann ’17, who saved four shots in 10 minutes.
Again playing host, the Cardinals invited St. Joseph’s University to Middletown this past Wednesday for a cold lesson in lacrosse on a bitter, windy March day. In their last nonconference contest, the Redbirds made a major statement, stifling their opponents 9-2.
Early on, midfielder Leah Sherman ’15 broke into the scoring column for the Cardinals for her ninth goal of the season off an unassisted shot. Saturday’s hero, Harding, would not waste too much time getting back to her scoring ways, notching her 10th goal of the year just six minutes later at the 23-minute mark in the contest. Entering halftime holding onto a 3-1 lead, the Cardinals were evidently in control but had yet to put the game completely out of reach for the visitors.
The Cardinals dominated the second half of play with an offensive onslaught that saw the Birds rip six consecutive goals to end the contest. Four different Cardinals joined in the goal parade. Attacker Caty Daniels ’15 initiated the second-half demolition just under the 20-minute mark with her sixth goal of the season, assisted by newcomer Becca Phillips ’17. Lead scorer Smith would be up next, scoring at the 15-minute mark and repeating the deed with 2:33 minutes to play to bring her total tally to 14 goals of the season. Harding would also complement her first half goal with an unassisted score in the second to raise her total to 11 season goals. While the Cardinals were up a player, Phillips took advantage of a free position shot to pair up a goal with her assist from earlier in the half.
With seven remaining regular season games, as well as NESCAC Championships, the Cardinals are now tasked with proving their mettle amongst the elite squads of the NESCAC. Proving itself to be a tough customer at home with a 4-1 record at Smith Field, the team will look to continue asserting its dominance on familiar grounds as it plays host to Colby this Saturday at noon. With not much separating these two squads in terms of their overall records, this game presents itself as the perfect opportunity for the Cardinals to gain some ground in the NESCAC standings with their first conference victory.