The Elizabethtown College Blue Jays cruised past the Albright Lions last Wednesday, taking a commanding lead early and holding it throughout the game to secure an 8-2 victory.
The now 3-1 Blue Jays outperformed Albright in nearly every significant statistical category. Elizabethtown outshot its opponent 34-6 and maintained a 13-3 advantage in penalty corners, consistently keeping the Lions on their heels and forcing them to defend for much of the game.
Senior Hannah Long led the Blue Jays offensively with two goals and four assists. Her ability to put her teammates in a position to score has consistently allowed Elizabethtown to create intense offensive pressure in each of its early-season matchups. Long’s four assists against Albright also gave her a major role in nearly every stage of the Blue Jays’ offensive attack.
Elizabethtown showed no hesitation in getting the game started. Junior Hailey Meyer scored the first goal for the team a little over two minutes into the first quarter, giving the Blue Jays an early advantage.
Long followed soon after, scoring with some added dramatic flair. Carrying the ball into the offensive circle, she briefly lifted it over a defender’s stick before bringing it down and firing it into the cage. The goal gave Elizabethtown a 2-0 lead and demonstrated the offensive creativity that would continue throughout the game.
The Blue Jays continued to apply pressure in the second quarter. Long found the back of the cage again off an assist from first-year Avery Mettle, extending the lead to 3-0 heading into halftime.
Elizabethtown did not let up after the break.
The Blue Jays blew the game open in the second half, beginning with a goal from first-year Carly Schumacher early in the third quarter. Schumacher scored with a reverse shot, once again assisted by Long.
Just under four minutes later, junior Nia Mountis added another goal for Elizabethtown. The goal, assisted by sophomore Sophie Myers, marked Mountis’ first of the season and pushed the Blue Jays’ lead to 5-0.
Sophomore Sara Watson then added two goals of her own in the fourth quarter. Watson first scored from the back post before finding the net again three minutes later, pushing Elizabethtown’s advantage to 7-1.
Senior Mia Fino capped the Blue Jays’ scoring with just over three minutes remaining. Long once again provided the assist, giving her four on the night.
Albright managed two late goals in the fourth quarter, but the deficit was too large to overcome. The Lions struggled to generate consistent offensive opportunities throughout the game, finishing with just five shots on goal compared to 25 for the Blue Jays.
The victory marked another strong home performance for Elizabethtown and improved the Blue Jays to 3-1 on the season. More importantly, the offensive outburst demonstrated the depth of the team’s attack, with six different Blue Jays finding the cage.
Elizabethtown will look to keep its early-season momentum when it hosts Stevenson in a non-conference matchup Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 6 p.m.
