Staying alive
Cards defeat Hawks to stay in hunt for E8 bid
By Rob Popielarz
Last Updated:2:58 PM EST 4/22/09 Section: Sports
The St. John Fisher woman's lacrosse team got the job done when it needed to most when the team won 18-5 in a must win game against the Hartwick College Hawks.
The Cardinals (7-6, 4-3) were able to get the win one day after they traveled to Stevens Institute and suffered a tough loss.
The game opened on a draw control won by Lauren Glavin that resulted in the first score of the game by Ashley Fenyn with less than thirty seconds in. The quick start was a positive sign of things to come as Fisher would score 11 goals in the first 15 minutes of the game.
At halftime the Cardinals were up 13-2. The first half saw the team dominate offensively and defensively. The Cardinals won the shots on goal battle with 33 to Hartwick's three.
The team also won most of the draw controls and had the ball the majority of the game. Glavin had three goals in the half while Fenyn, Courtney Clare, and Meg Merriam each had two.
The first half surge was enough to keep the Hawks (1-11, 0-6) at bay. The Cardinals added five more goals in the second half and used tight defense to prevent the lead from diminishing.
"We connected well as a team, offensively right down to the goalie," Merriam said. "We rode them hard defensively, and won a majority of the draw controls. We came out intense and wanted to send them a message."
After the lead was built, head coach Shannon McHale was able to mix up substitution patterns and a couple of defenders scored.
Questions about the team's focus and energy level loomed due to the back to back road games. The team provided the necessary answers, however, and didn't seem bothered by the travel.
"It was a good recovery after yesterday's loss, but we had a lot of fuel. We were fatigued physically but had enough energy to play well," said junior Trish Scudder. "We must carry the intensity into the game next week, and into the Empire 8 playoffs."
The win puts Fisher in a tie with Nazareth for fourth place with one game remaining on the schedule for both teams.
The possibility of a three way tie is still in the mix with the tie-breaker being goals scored, so the Cardinals were happy to put as many points on the board as they did against Hartwick.
The Cardinals postseason hopes hang in the balance with their last test of the regular season against Utica College on Saturday, April 25.
"We don't want to put too much pressure on ourselves," said Merriam. "But we are fired up to beat Utica, we want to show them what we are made of."
The Cardinals (7-6, 4-3) were able to get the win one day after they traveled to Stevens Institute and suffered a tough loss.
The game opened on a draw control won by Lauren Glavin that resulted in the first score of the game by Ashley Fenyn with less than thirty seconds in. The quick start was a positive sign of things to come as Fisher would score 11 goals in the first 15 minutes of the game.
At halftime the Cardinals were up 13-2. The first half saw the team dominate offensively and defensively. The Cardinals won the shots on goal battle with 33 to Hartwick's three.
The team also won most of the draw controls and had the ball the majority of the game. Glavin had three goals in the half while Fenyn, Courtney Clare, and Meg Merriam each had two.
The first half surge was enough to keep the Hawks (1-11, 0-6) at bay. The Cardinals added five more goals in the second half and used tight defense to prevent the lead from diminishing.
"We connected well as a team, offensively right down to the goalie," Merriam said. "We rode them hard defensively, and won a majority of the draw controls. We came out intense and wanted to send them a message."
After the lead was built, head coach Shannon McHale was able to mix up substitution patterns and a couple of defenders scored.
Questions about the team's focus and energy level loomed due to the back to back road games. The team provided the necessary answers, however, and didn't seem bothered by the travel.
"It was a good recovery after yesterday's loss, but we had a lot of fuel. We were fatigued physically but had enough energy to play well," said junior Trish Scudder. "We must carry the intensity into the game next week, and into the Empire 8 playoffs."
The win puts Fisher in a tie with Nazareth for fourth place with one game remaining on the schedule for both teams.
The possibility of a three way tie is still in the mix with the tie-breaker being goals scored, so the Cardinals were happy to put as many points on the board as they did against Hartwick.
The Cardinals postseason hopes hang in the balance with their last test of the regular season against Utica College on Saturday, April 25.
"We don't want to put too much pressure on ourselves," said Merriam. "But we are fired up to beat Utica, we want to show them what we are made of."
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