The women's lacrosse team was clearly out to make an early-season statement in its home opener on Wednesday, demolishing non-conference foe Wellesley 20-3 for its second consecutive win to start the season.
The score was only close for the first 10 minutes of the contest, when the Jumbos had just a 3-2 lead over the Blue, but a 10-0 scoring run quickly changed that, and the Jumbos were up 13-3 by halftime.
Setting off the scoring flood was junior attacker Emily Johnson, who contributed three goals to the 10-goal effort and a total of four goals and an assist on the game. Sophomore scoring leader Amanda Roberts also buried four of her five overall goals during the run, and senior co-captain Chrissie Attura added her second of three on the game.
"We work really well together as a team," Johnson said. "We are really dynamic all the way around."
It was not until less than one second remained in the half that Wellesley freshman Meredith Roy ended the Jumbos' hot streak, capitalizing on a free position shot to make it a 13-3 game going into halftime.
The last-second goal was the final one of the match for the Blue, as the Jumbos shut them down completely in the running-time second half, adding seven more goals to their tally. With three Jumbos putting up four-point games and freshmen Kelly Hyland, Sterling Champion, Casey Egan and Lara Kozin each adding a goal apiece, the Jumbos proved the depth of their squad. The goals were the first of their collegiate careers for Hyland, Champion and Egan, while Kozin now has four on the year.
"[Scoring ability] is spread throughout the team," Johnson said.
The extent of the Jumbos' dominant play was not just reflected on the scoreboard. They showed impeccable ball control throughout the game, turning the ball over just 12 times and going 15 for 15 on clears.
"We're really working especially on midfield transitions, and we didn't drop many balls in midfield," Attura said. "That's reflective of our hard work in practice."
"It is key that we were able to control the midfield and get the ball down the field," sophomore goaltender Sara Bloom said.
Winning the groundball battle 38-20 and taking control on 15 of 24 draws, the Jumbos also showed that they have been working on a lot more than just their scoring in the offseason. With the ball usually in their sticks, the Jumbos were able to own the shot count as well, with a 36-12 final mark.
"It makes things a lot easier for me when they have control over the rest of the game," said Bloom, who posted four saves to earn her second win of the season. "Defensively, they were doing such a great job and they looked great on transition."
"We've really been focusing on draw control," Attura added.
The win was the second consecutive time that the Jumbos have routed the Blue, as they opened up the 2008 season against them with a 17-3 victory.
"We came into the game knowing that Wellesley is not typically the best team," Attura said. "We wanted to just work on running our plays and running them well."
Whether or not the Jumbos had to work for the win, the game serves as a good indicator of their early-season condition, which will be crucial when they take on a slew of fierce NESCAC competitors in the coming weeks.
"We do have harder games coming up, and we do have to be ready for teams that it won't be as easy to get midfield control against," Attura said.
With a trip to defending NESCAC champion Colby on the schedule for Saturday, the Jumbos will have to be at their best. The last time the two teams faced each other was in the NESCAC Tournament last year, when the eventual champion Mules knocked out the Jumbos with a 22-14 first-round victory. The Jumbos will be looking to exact some revenge in Saturday's match, focusing on their ball control to contain the NESCAC's most dangerous offensive team of 2008.
"We're just going to try to come out strong and stay strong all game," Johnson said.
"We know that this is going to be a hard opponent," Attura added. "But I know that as long as we stay focused and have a good attitude about it, we can win."
