WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Riding a three-game home winning streak to open the season, the fourth-ranked West Chester University women's lacrosse team (4-0) returned to action on Sunday for its non-league finale against its second nationally-ranked foe in as many games as No. 24 Assumption (1-2) visited Vonnie Gros Field. West Chester again used a fast start to get an early advantage and used this early edge to capture a 17-11 victory on another cold, windy Saturday afternoon in West Chester.
The Golden Rams ' high-powered offense was on display again on Saturday afternoon as the team outscored its guests in three of four quarters. Seven different players found the back of the net, including
Keri Barnett (Glenolden, Pa./Archbishop Carroll), who scored six goals, along with
Kendall Fortune (Jarrettsville, Md./North Harford) and
Sydney Wasdick (Pottsgrove, Pa./Pottsgrove),
who scored three goals each in the victory.
Barnett added an assist to her line in the victory, while Fortune led the team in assists with three, finishing with six points in the hard-fought win.
Barnett was a force all over the field on Saturday afternoon as the Golden Rams silenced any thoughts of an upset win on Vonnie Gros, causing eight turnovers and coming away with four draw controls and three ground balls. Wasdick led the team in draw controls with six, while
Katie Byrne (Wall, N.J./Wall) led in ground balls with four.
West Chester jumped out to a three-goal lead in the first nine minutes of the game with goals from Fortune,
Morgan McClintock (Chadds Ford, Pa./Garnet Valley), and Barnett. The Greyhounds found their first goal of the game with 3:37 to play in the quarter to cut the lead to 3-1.
Barnett and Fortune each scored again within 10 seconds of each other with under three minutes to play, which gave the Golden Rams a 5-1 lead late in the first quarter. Assumption began its comeback bid with its second goal of the frame with 22 seconds to play before outscoring West Chester 4-3 in the second to make it an 8-6 game at the half.
The fourth-ranked Golden Rams retook control in the third quarter, hodling their guests scoreless and tacking on three goals as Barnett,
Madeline Edinger (Pennridge, Pa./Perkasie) and
Sydney Wasdick (Pottsgrove, Pa./Pottsgrove) all scored in the period to give West Chester an 11-6 lead after 45 minutes.
Barnett opened the fourth quarter scoring with her fifth goal of the afternoon before a 3-0 run by Assumption cu the lead to 12-9 with 11:20 to play. The Golden Rams had an answer once again, rattling off three straight goals from Barnett, Wasdick, and
Piper Hammond (Tucson, Ariz./Southridge) to take a 15-9 lead with under eight minutes to play.
Assumption had one more salvo left in it, scoring back-to-back goals at 6:47 and 4:24 to cut the lead to 15-11 but this was as close as the visitors were able to get after Wasdick and
Lila McMahon Skates (West Linn, Ore./West Linn) scored two more goals to ice a 17-11 victory.
West Chester ended the game with a 17-14 lead in draw controls, a 28-24 lead in ground balls, and a 15-22 lead in turnovers, thanks in large part to a 19-for-20 effort on clears, while holding Assumption to a 19-for-25 effort.
West Chester was 4-for-7 on free-position shots in the victory, including a perfect 3-for-3 from the eight-meter spot in the second half. West Chester also ended the game with a 41-24 lead in shots and a 28-20 lead in shots on goal after holding its guests to just three shots on goal in the third quarter shutout.
Hannah Cornelius (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) and
Morgan Koons (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) split the game in goal as Cornelius played the first half, making four saves, while allowing six goals, while Koons played the second half, making five saves, while allowing five goals of her own.
Kyle and Katelynn Johnston were strong for Assumption in the loss, finishing with four points each as they both scored three goals and added an assist in the setback. Skylar Troyan did everything she could to keep her side in the game, making 11 saves, including a handful at point-blank range, to slow the Golden Ram offense.
Up Next
West Chester will be back in action on Wednesday afternoon on Vonnie Gros Field vs East Stroudsburg beginning at 4 p.m.
