The Pomona-Pitzer women’s lacrosse team rolled to a 22-7 win over Berry College on Saturday, bumping their record to 5-3 on the year.
The Sagehens, fresh off a pair of home games against tough East Coast opponents, were facing a team that had three straight on a West Coast swing. Still, the Vikings put up a good fight in the first half. Jana London PZ ’14 opened the scoring with two unassisted goals in the first five minutes, but Berry responded with two goals in 30 seconds to even the game up.
After another exchange of goals from London and the Vikings, the Sagehens went on a 5-0 run to take an 8-3 lead. The run was sparked by Alexa Sarussi PO ’15 and included two goals by Ally McLaughlin PO ’16 and assists from Logan Galansky PO ’14 and London.
A pivotal sequence occurred after Berry scored three unanswered goals late in the first half. The Vikings drew a free position shot with two minutes left that would have cut the Sagehen lead to a single goal, but goalkeeper Casey Leek PZ ’13 made the save. The Sagehens maintained possession and scored on the counterattack to make the score 9-6 at the end of the first half.
The Sagehens took advantage of Berry’s lack of depth in the second half and quickly took control of the game. London and McLaughlin opened the half with a pair of goals, and after the Vikings responded to make the score 11-7, the Sagehens closed out the game on an 11-0 run. Aubrey Douglass PZ ’16 got it started with her second goal of the game, London scored four goals in five minutes, and Sarah Markowitz PZ ’16 closed out the scoring with three of the Sagehens’ last four goals.
London finished with nine goals, a tie for her career high. McLaughlin added a career-high five goals as the Sagehens outshot Berry 41-20. Galansky, London, and Kaitlin Jones PZ ’14 each had three assists. Leek had 10 saves and now leads the SCIAC with 75 saves in eight games. The Sagehens also enjoyed a 32-19 edge in ground balls, with Douglass picking up a game-high four.
The Sagehens added eight freshmen to the roster this year, several of whom have made key contributions toward the team’s success. Douglass, McLaughlin, and McKayla DeJong PO ’16 have all started every game this year.
“This season so far has been great because of the team’s positivity towards everything we do from practice to games … the helpfulness of the upperclassman [has] definitely helped me improve as a freshman and made me excited to go out and play my hardest,” Douglass said when asked about the transition to college lacrosse.
McLaughlin, who plays both defense and midfield, leads the team in ground balls, and Douglass, an attacker, is third on the team in scoring with eight goals and six assists. DeJong has been a steady presence in a defense that is third in the conference in goals allowed per game. Markowitz and Emlyn Foxen PO ’16 have also seen playing time.
The Sagehens’ depth and balance will be a major factor in their continued quest for a SCIAC championship. They’ll be back in action on Tuesday when they host the University of Puget Sound and then continue with a Spring Break road trip that will see them traveling to Tennessee and Georgia to face Sewanee: The University of the South and Oglethorpe University.