Box Score
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Senior goalkeeper Mary Beth Green backstopped fifth-ranked West Chester University to a 12-7 victory amidst blowing snow and frigid temperatures in a critical PSAC East women’s lacrosse showdown at Vonnie Gros Field Tuesday afternoon.
West Chester (9-2, 7-0 PSAC East) increased its stranglehold on the rest of the division with a season sweep of rival Bloomsburg (8-3, 5-2). The Huskies fall two games behind the Golden Rams in the race for the division crown.
On one of the coldest spring afternoons, Green (9-2) was heating up in front of the cage for the Golden Rams. She posted 15 saves, many from point-blank range in the second half, to keep the visiting Huskies at bay.
West Chester jumped out to a 9-3 advantage by halftime thanks to a 6-0 run in the first half. Bloomsburg got on the scoreboard first with a tally from Samantha King 1:54 into the contest. However, the Golden Rams responded with the next six goals of the game and never trailed again.
Kelsey Quigley ended the string at the 14:51 mark to make it a four-goal game (6-2). Then, Jackie Baker and Courtney Whiting posted back-to-back goals to push the advantage back to six. Quigley notched the second of her three markers on the afternoon with just under two minutes to play before the break. However, Whiting answered with her third of the half 17 seconds later to make it 9-3 going into the locker rooms.
A big reason for West Chester’s six-goal lead at halftime was attributed to the Golden Rams’ 10-3 advantage in draw controls. The hosts controlled the tempo of the game for the first 30 minutes of play, limiting Bloomsburg’s opportunities.
However, the visitors swung the pendulum of momentum back its way in the second half, holding the hosts scoreless for almost 10 minutes while scoring three consecutive tallies that brought Bloomsburg to within four (10-6).
Whiting scored on a free position at the 16:05 mark to stop Bloomsburg’s three-goal run and end West Chester’s 10-minute scoring drought. Allie Kakareka tallied with seven minutes remaining for the visitors, but that was answered by Claire Grimwood’s second goal of the game with 3:40 left that restored the Rams’ five-goal cushion (12-7).
Whiting added five draw controls and two caused turnovers to her four goals on the afternoon. Grimwood, Gina DiDomenicis and Jackie Baker all scored a pair of goals. Nicole Haines registered a goal and two assists. Grimwood and Baker each added an assist to their two-goal outputs.
Allison Ziants (8-3) made 11 saves in goal for Bloomsburg. King finished with two goals for the Huskies in support of Quigley’s hat trick. Kim Springman registered two assists.
