Author: Sharen Cervantes
The women’s lacrosse team took to the field on Wednesday, Feb. 24 as officially-recognized NCAA athletes in a heated conference game against the University of Redlands Bulldogs. Despite the Tigers’ exhilaration over being sponsored by the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) for the first time, their enthusiasm and spirit weren’t enough to secure an Oxy victory, and the game ended with a Bulldog win, 18-3.
The Bulldogs took control of the game from the get-go, scoring the first goal four minutes into the first half of the game. Despite the Tigers’ best efforts to reclaim both ball and game, the Bulldogs continued to score, earning five more points before Oxy player Shannon Docherty (senior) managed to secure Oxy’s first goal. Following Docherty’s goal, however, the Bulldogs again took possession of the ball, scoring 10 consecutive goals before half-time, with a lead of 16-1.
The second half of the game didn’t fare much better for the Tigers. Though Oxy managed to score two more goals thanks to players Annie Wolfstone (sophomore) and Isabel Osgood-Roach (first-year), the Bulldogs scored two more goals as well, finishing the game with an 18-3 victory.
Despite Wednesday’s disappointing loss, the Tigers aren’t letting any negativity get the better of them. However, they acknowledge that they’re going to have to work hard if they want to end the season on a high note. “I’m proud of what our team has accomplished thus far, but we all know we have a long way to go,” said player Lucy Vallejo-Anderson (junior). “Yesterday’s game was a bit of a disappointment, because we knew we could have and should have won. But now we know what we need to improve on, and we plan on using the game as a way to make ourselves better individually and as a team.”
Other members of the women’s lacrosse team see Wednesday’s loss as motivation to play each game more aggressively and more urgently than the last, without reservation, hesitation or intimidation.
Several of the Tigers have made it both a personal and a team goal to step up their game each week so that the team’s performance will peak at the end of the season, just in time for the championship games that will determine Oxy’s SCIAC standing.
“Each week we are continuing to improve, and at practice we like to ask ourselves, ‘Could this week’s team beat last week’s team?’ and so far the answer has consistently been ‘yes’,” said player Hilary Olson (sophomore).
The Tigers also stress the importance of team unity in achieving their goals, as the team is only as strong as its weakest player. “The team is starting to function as one [cohesive] unit,” said Olson. “We all get along really well, and I think the friendships off the field have helped translate into cohesion on the field.”
The Tigers’ strength as a team was once again put to the test on Saturday, Feb. 27 in the first ever NCAA women’s lacrosse home game. Oxy hosted the Whittier College Poets on Patterson Field, where the Tigers hoped that support from the Oxy community would amp up their game.
The Poets, however, played harder than the Tigers anticipated, quickly outscoring Oxy 5-1 during the first half of the game. Though the Tigers stepped up to the plate after the Poets’ goals and bore their claws, even scoring an additional five goals while Whittier only scored four, Oxy went into half-time down 9-6.
Momentum favored the Poets during the second half, as the Poets scored three consecutive goals during the first few minutes. Not ones to give up without a fight, the Tigers quickly followed suit, outscoring Whittier 6-4 following the Poets’ initial three goals. Still, the Poets managed to outscore the Tigers overall, and Oxy suffered a 16-12 loss.
Despite Oxy not leaving the field victorious, the scoring margin was much closer than during the Tigers’ previous game, signaling improvement and hopes for a better outcome when the lacrosse team faces off against Ohio Wesleyan on Wednesday, March 10.
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