No. 13 Dukes declaw CAA foe Tigers
New lineup helps JMU out-shoot Towson University 42-11 en route
to second conference win
by Matt Brownlee / staff writer
CHRIS LABZDA / staff photographer
Sophomore attacker Jessica Collins battles with Towson
University defender Amy Shilling during Friday's match with
the Tigers. The Dukes dominated the Tigers 16-4.
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On a Friday afternoon that found more students sun bathing on
the quad than expending any kind of energy, the women's lacrosse
team was hard at work on the Reservoir Street Field. It seemed like
playtime at some points though, as the defending Colonial Athletic
Association champs dominated their visitors from Towson University
with a 16-4 win over the Tigers.
The 13th ranked Dukes went to a new lineup, combining proven veterans
and rising stars to break down the Towson defense and frustrate
the Tigers' offensive attack. Throughout the game, the Dukes were
more aggressive, quicker to the ball and more controlled in their
attack, as evident by the 42-11 shot differential.
"We wanted to mix it up and see what different people had to
offer," coach Jennifer Ulehla said. "We gave people a
chance and they really stepped up."
Even with some great individual performances, team play was the
theme of the day for the Dukes. Eight different players contributed
to the scoring, two different goalies minded the net and the bench
players remained standing to give support and encouragement for
the full 60 minutes.
"Today was about team pride and heart," senior midfielder
Kristen Dinisio said. "The first time players did fantastic
and we showed what JMU lacrosse is made of."
The Dukes' newcomers wasted no time getting into the thick of the
action. Freshman defender Carrie Martell started off a fantastic
game by assisting on a goal by junior midfielder Beth Davis moments
before fellow freshman defender Ashlee Dardine made the score 2-0
with a goal of her own. The Tigers scored twice to make things interesting,
but the Dukes would respond in grand fashion. Over a span of 22
minutes, the Dukes scored seven unanswered goals to put the game
out of reach.
Taking control for most of this stretch were the captains, Dinisio
and junior midfielder Lisa Staedt. Back-to-back goals by the duo
pushed the lead to 5-2 and prompted a Towson timeout designed to
slow down the Dukes' attack. It didn't work.
Dinisio came out of the timeout and quickly notched her second goal
of the day. Minutes later, on a play that would exemplify the entire
afternoon, the All-American Staedt assisted on sophomore midfielder
Gail Decker's first goal of the day. As Staedt controlled the ball
to the right of the goal area, Decker streaked down the middle,
juked her defender left, came back to the right, took the pass from
Staedt in stride and fired on goal in one smooth motion. Staedt
and Decker hooked up again for another goal before the intermission,
giving the Dukes an 8-2 cushion at the half.
Halftime may have allowed Towson to come up for a gasp of air, but
when the ball dropped on the second half, the Tigers once again
found themselves struggling for life. Goals by Staedt and Dinisio
put the Dukes into double digits within the first five minutes of
the half and they never looked back.
CHRIS LABZDA / staff photographer
JMU defeated Towson University 16-4 last Friday. The Dukes
lost Sunday to Loyola University 12-7, and their next game
is Wednesday, March 20 at the College of William & Mary.
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Contributions in the second half came from all over the field.
Junior goalkeeper Lisa Sager saw her first action of the year in
the second half and saved three shots, including one from point-blank
range with 11 seconds left. Dinisio added two more goals for a total
of five on the day while Staedt followed suit and finished the day
with three of her own. Decker and Dardine each found the net again
in the second half, and freshman midfielder Kara Beatty caused
the bench to erupt after her first career goal.
"They just go hard and are so aggressive," Towson coach
Linda Ohrin said. "They took us out of the game; they're a
huge power in the CAA."
JMU fell to No. 4 Loyola University 12-7 on Sunday. A 7-1 run over
the first 21:51 of the second half allowed the Greyhounds to take
control of the game. Staedt scored four goals for the Dukes.
JMU next travels to the College of William & Mary to take
on the 19th ranked Tribe Wednesday in Williamsburg.
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