The Elizabethtown women’s lacrosse team came into the season with one objective in mind: to win their second MAC championship in the team’s history. This goal was set in motion with an early victory over non-conference opponent McDaniel College after their first game ended in a loss to Dickinson College.
In those two games, first-year Leigh Anne Flounlacker was put into the starting line-up and excelled at a rapid pace, netting a remarkable 10 goals while grabbing 5 assists. Flounlacker’s fast start to her college career won her Commonwealth Conference Player of the Week honors. She is the only first-year to ever receive this honor for Etown’s team and the first player since Stephanie Kreis in 2010 to compile double-digit points in a single game. Flounlacker said of her quick start, “I’m really lucky to practice with some awesome players because they are the ones that make me better. I’m also really lucky to get an opportunity to make an impact on the team so early on.”
The Blue Jays’ next game resulted in a loss against the number one team in the nation, the Gettysburg Bullets. Though the game resulted in a defeat, it was not without some excellent play from the team. Sophomore Madalyn Schnader, junior Becky Porter and junior captain Emily Butler scored to get the Jays on the board.
The team had little time to worry about the loss with tough opponents coming up on their schedule. The Jays headed down to Clearwater, Fla. over the recent spring break to hone their skills, while relaxing in the beautiful weather of the sunshine state. In their only game while in Florida, the Jays defeated Swarthmore College with a score of 14-12. Senior captain Katie Scheurich netted four goals in the game while sophomore goaltender Shelby Bruno was a brick wall in her first career start in cage. Bruno talked about the team’s spring break trip and her first victory in the net for the Jays: “The trip was a great time to bond with my teammates. I was really excited to get my first college start and even more excited for it to end in a win.”
The next test for the Blue Jays was on the road against Haverford College. Junior Kara Solesky helped the team get off to a hot start, netting a hat trick in the first half. The rest of the game was no contest as the Black Squirrels could not handle the offensive firepower of the Blue Jays. The game ended with a score of 15-6, as ten different players scored in a well-rounded affair by all who played for the team.
Saturday, the Blue Jays were on the road yet again as they faced Salisbury University in Maryland. The final score was not in favor of Etown as the team fell to the number two ranked team in the country by a score of 15-0.
Yesterday the team got back on the winning track with a victory over the Shorewomen of Washington College. Porter played extremely well in this contest, recording her eighth hat trick of the season.
The Jays look to continue their winning ways on Saturday when they face the Owls of Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J. With a record of 4-3, the Blue Jays are well on their way to obtaining their goal of another MAC Championship.
