On Wednesday, April 6, Wesleyan women’s lacrosse travelled up to Amherst and delivered a shocking victory of 16–2 (although most of the shock was reserved for the Amherst side). The 14-point spread was the largest margin of victory the Red and Black has ever had over the Mammoths.

The first half was close, with a score of 4–2, but the third quarter was simply ridiculous: the Cardinals scored over a goal per minute in one five-minute period in the quarter, finishing the quarter with eight goals against the No. 20 Amherst squad. While the Cards enjoyed scoring at will, Wesleyan’s staunch defense did not give up a single shot, frustrating each and every Amherst offensive possession.  

While this win signaled Wesleyan’s strength to the rest of the NESCAC, the season is far from over, and, if anything, this past victory is just one of the first indicators of what this Wesleyan team can and is motivated to produce. The win pushed Wesleyan to 8–1 on the season and 3–1 in the NESCAC, tying them with Hamilton for third position in the Conference.

In many ways, this season marks an important point for the NESCAC schools. For Wesleyan, it is a season to show that they can pick up from where they left off in their historic 2019 season, even with an entirely new team. 

“I think something that has offset our inexperience and leveled the playing field when it comes to NESCAC play is the fact that there has been so much change on every team over the past two years,” Olivia Lai ’23 said. “Programs that have historically dominated the NESCAC may not be who they used to be anymore, and the same goes for the other end of the spectrum. That being said, it’s more important than ever to not under- or overestimate teams based on the past and shift our mindset to focusing on ourselves this season.” 

2019 was the last full season that Wesleyan played. The Cards made it to the Final Four in the NCAA tournament for the first time before falling to the eventual champions, Middlebury. But that was three years ago, and the only players that remain from then are seniors and a few graduate students. Head Coach Kim Williams praised these students’ leadership as integral to allowing the team to pick up where they left off.

“We had to reset in a lot of ways,” Williams said. “Of course, we want to build off the 2019 season, but the break forced us to revamp our culture in a lot of ways, but fortunately our seniors and graduate students are being selfless leaders, sharing stories and advice to juniors and underclassmen. It helps that the juniors and underclassmen are overly motivated.”

One of the graduate students is Indigo Pellegrini de Paur ’21 MA ’22, one of the few players who was also on the 2019 team. De Paur was part of the Cardinal defense that shut out the Amherst side this past Wednesday, and reiterated Williams’ praise, adding how much she appreciated the upperclassmen when she was a first year.

“I have so much respect for the entire senior class and the ways that they have worked to make a fun and lighthearted team culture while also working towards our goals of winning the Little Three, NESCACS, and National Championship,” de Paur wrote in a message to The Argus. “The lacrosse players in the grades above me were/are my biggest role models and now as a leader I feel myself constantly channeling their energy and working to live up to the legacy they created.” 

But the team’s strengths don’t stop at leadership. Williams also focuses on practices, making sure that the workload and competitiveness of training matches will effectively prepare the team’s gameplay. This practice style toughens the team both mentally and physically. 

“Grittiness is definitely our biggest strength and a defining aspect of our culture,” Lai wrote. “There is an insane amount of competitive energy on this team. Every day is always such a battle. We’re constantly challenged by the hustle and physicality of those around us. Practice is where we play against some of our toughest competition all season, which is why we’re able to collectively dig deep during games in the moments we need it most.”

Williams praised all of the players, from the younger class years to the seniors and graduate students.

“They have incredible work ethic and drive no matter the practice or upcoming challenge,” Williams said. “They also have energy and passion for each other, and you can see it when they are going crazy on the side lines.” 

And, as anyone who has been a part of a sports team knows, an exciting bench is often indicative of a great team. That is exactly what Wesleyan’s team has.

“Our biggest strength is that we make each other laugh,” de Paur wrote. “In a pregame speech, our senior captain Fran Li [’22] said, ‘In 20 years you won’t remember how many goals you scored in this game, but you will remember what it felt like to have fun with your teammates.’”

Moving forward, the Cards will face off against a string of NESCAC opponents in the second half of their season, including No. 1 Middlebury this Saturday, April 9 in Middlebury, Vt. Afterwards, the team will face a matchup every three-to-four days against other NESCAC teams, setting a grueling pace due to the competitiveness of the conference. However, Wesleyan is not perturbed, especially behind the offensive trio of Laura Baine ’24, Lai, and Kendall Mittleman ’23, who combined for 70 goals and 45 assists in just nine games.

“The first half of the season helped us prepare for these upcoming contests,” Baine wrote in a message to The Argus. “We have honed our skills and strengthened our team both defensively and offensively. We are definitely ready to face these competitive teams.” 

Eli Seaver can be reached at eseaver@wesleyan.edu.