The University of Redlands women's lacrosse team broke open a 7-7 tie midway through the first half to capture a 25-14 win over the visiting Belles of St. Mary's College (IN) on Wednesday night. While tying the school record for goals in a game, the Bulldogs gained at least one goal from 11 different players for a solid showing in the non-conference victory.
With tonight's result, the Maroon and Gray equals the program's standard of 25 goals, which was established on March 5, 2011, against Sewanee (TN).
Against the Belles, Redlands stormed out to a 2-0 lead with consecutive goals by senior midfielder Hanna Morford (West Linn, OR) and first-year attacker Joren Fettig (Bend, OR). Senior attacker Kelsey Ruhl (Seattle, WA) continued her role as an effective ball-distributor with an assist on Fettig's score.
The Bulldogs stayed in front through the 20-minute mark of the first half with junior midfielder Sadie Pickering (Tacoma, WA), first-year midfielder Ashley Rende (Mission Viejo, CA), and junior attacker Charly Walter (Bethesda, MD) each finding the back of the net for the Maroon and Gray.
However, St. Mary's managed to even the tally at five, six and seven apiece over the next eight minutes.
Not to be outdone, Redlands responded with a 7-1 run to close out the half with a comfortable lead. Following free-position goals from first-year midfielder Maeve Wiencek (Sherwood, OR) and Morford, senior defender Alexis Pound (Washington, DC) forced the Belles to lose possession, which allowed Ruhl to haul in the ground ball. After moving downfield to their offensive third, the Bulldogs produced a sweet combination for the score off Pickering's assist and Wiencek's goal. Although St. Mary's scored about 90 seconds later, the Maroon and Gray immediately answered with four more goals for a 14-8 halftime advantage. Sophomore attacker Paige Erlanger (Las Vegas, NV) and Morford traded roles on back-to-back scores, while first-year attacker Maddie Bush (Ladera Ranch, CA) and Morford each converted free-position goals for a solid finish to the Bulldogs' lucrative first half.
During the second stanza, Redlands remained in control by notching 11 more goals, beginning with Ruhl's unassisted score less than a minute into the action. Erlanger and Rende accounted for six of the home team's second-half goals, while first-year midfielder Sydney Louie (Lafayette, CA), senior attacker Adi Fellows (Albuquerque, NM), Pickering, and Bush also got in on the offensive surge.
Defensively, Redlands saw first-year goalkeeper Annie Van Norstrand (Littleton, CO) make one save in nearly 37 minutes before giving way to first-year goalkeeper Kallie Collett (Manhattan Beach, CA), who tallied four stops in 23 minutes.
Morford finished with another stellar stat line with five goals, one assist, 11 draw controls, and three caused turnovers in the first half alone. Rende and Erlanger each scored four times.
Overall, the Bulldogs converted 10 of their 13 free-position shots while producing 17 successful clears in 23 attempts.
Redlands (4-3, 0-3 SCIAC) returns to Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) competition on Saturday, March 23, when it travels to Chapman University for a 1 p.m. showdown against the Panthers.
