By Becca Leclerc '10
Contributing Writer
In their third home game of the season, the Wellesley Lacrosse team increased their record to 2-1 with a 20-8 victory over Mount St. Vincent.
Blue lacrosse squares away for a set-play against Mt. St. Vincent.
Following a disappointing loss to Tufts on Wednesday, the team took full advantage of every opportunity to prove their dominance on the field. In the first half, the Blue outshot the Dolphins 23-9, capitalizing on 15 of those opportunities.
Wellesley took control of the field from the start, and Caitlin Meeker '09 was awarded the first goal of the game just two-and-a-half minutes in, with Haley Geller '10 capitalizing on the second face-off to score again for the Blue 20 seconds later. Amber Evans '08 scored her first goal of the game off an assist by Meeker, making the tally 3-0 in the first four minutes.
It didn't take long for the Dolphins to answer back when Cyndi Adams scored to make the game 3-1, but the Blue were undeterred. Within five minutes Wellesley netted four more goals, with Meeker and Colette Whitaker '09 each getting one and Evans scoring three. Mount St. Vincent scored again shortly thereafter, bringing the score to 7-2.
Molly Morrow '10 scored the Blue's eighth goal, but this time the Dolphins answered back quickly, making the score 8-3. Briana Roberge '11 scored twice for the Blue in the fourteenth minute of play, and Whitaker and Geller added another goal each. With less than ten minutes remaining, the Dolphins' Kelly Martin scored twice, but Roberge netted another two goals for the Blue and Whitaker scored her third goal of the game in the final minute of play. At the half, the score was 15-5 in Wellesley's favor. "This game has never been close, just a steady stream of points for Wellesley," a Wellesley fan commented.
The Blue's determination continued into the second half, when Roberge scored her fifth goal of the game barely a minute into play. St. Vincent answered back with Martin getting her third goal, but the Blue was adamant about maintaining their lead. Geller scored the Blue's 17th goal, answered by the Dolphins four minutes later. Meeker and Loretta White '10 each scored one for the Blue before Mt. St. Vincent scored their final point of the game.
Wellesley's offense netted the final goal for the Blue with 30 seconds left, but even then the Dolphins did not give up, making one last, unsuccessful drive to score with only two seconds left.
Of the 20 goals by Wellesley, Roberge had 5, Meeker, Whitaker, Evans and Geller had 3 each, and Morrow and White scored one goal apiece for the Blue. Goalie Kristin Jaronczyk '09 had three saves for the Blue, and keeper Mary Mattia '11 had a strong showing in her first collegiate game, coming away with four saves for Wellesley. "I was happy we came out with a win. This victory felt great not just because we won, but because we took things we didn't do so well in the Tufts game and improved and executed them in the next game. It just goes to show how much we can grow from game to game," said Roberge of Saturday's conest.
The Blue will travel to Endicott College on Thursday, and then take on University of New England Saturday at home.