The Elizabethtown College women’s lacrosse team took on Albright College for their home opener on Feb. 25. The Blue Jay faithful were excited to see the spring sport begin their season as the men’s lacrosse team had taken key victories earlier in the season after defeating #17 ranked Stevenson.
The Blue Jays rocketed out to a hot start, with junior attacker Abby Bach, sophomore midfielder Hailey Meyer and first-year midfielder Alyssa Golombeck contributing a goal a piece to put Etown up 3-0 with only five minutes gone in the first quarter. The Lions responded strongly to the early lead by the Blue Jays by scoring three goals over the final 10 minutes in the quarter to tie the game up at three goals a piece.
After the Blue Jays won the draw to begin the second quarter, sophomore attacker Ella Scholes was able to plant the ball in the back of the net to give the Blue Jays the lead. In similar fashion as the first quarter, Etown added two more goals in the first half of the quarter, with graduate attacker Megan Meyer and Scholes scoring the next two for the Blue Jays.
Albright answered the same way as they had done in the first quarter, scoring three straight goals to tie the game at 6-6. Scholes wasn’t done scoring yet, picking up a hat-trick in the second quarter alone with four minutes to go in the half. The Blue Jays couldn’t hold onto the lead heading into the half as the Lions scored the tying goal, tying the game at seven heading into the break.
Senior midfielder and field hockey offensive player of the year Drew Bridges opened the scoring in the second half, with a goal assisted by Scholes. Albright took their first lead of the game after retaliating with back-to-back goals within a minute of each. Senior attacker Kendall Ulmer tied the game at nine with a goal of her own before the Lions took control of the contest, scoring three straight to give them their largest lead of the game. Etown fought back, with Golombeck and Bridges ending the quarter with goals.
The Blue Jays continued to fight through the fourth, retaking the lead for the first time since the beginning of the third with goals by Scholes and Bach. After trading goals back and forth, Albright scored their 17th goal of the contest with less than two minutes remaining. The Blue Jays kept their composure as Bridges completed her hattrick with a goal with a minute to go to force the game into overtime.
In the first sudden victory overtime period, the Lions and Blue Jays played five minutes of deadlocked lacrosse, with neither team budging as multiple chances were created. Etown got their chance in the second overtime period, with the Blue Jays winning the draw and Bridges taking the ball down the field, she netted her fourth goal of the contest and scored the winning goal as Etown took down Albright 18-17 in double overtime.
Bridges tied Scholes with leading the team in scoring with four goals each. Golombeck and Bach both contributed hattricks in the contest. Megan Meyer led the team with five assists, followed by Scholes and Bach with four each. Sophomore goalkeeper Katie Raggazino made five saves in the contest. After the conclusion of spring break, the Blue Jays sit 3-1 on the season after defeating both Alvernia University and Gwynedd Mercy University. Etown will have their next home game against Wilson College on March 18 at home on Wolf Field or online on FloCollege.
