The University of Redlands women's lacrosse team welcomed the Poets of Whittier College to Farquhar Field on Saturday night for a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) showdown. While never trailing, the Bulldogs fired off an impressive 13-5 victory, with four players registering two or more goals to highlight the Maroon and Gray's multi-faceted offense.
Redlands initiated the scoring with three unanswered goals through the first 10 minutes of action.
After the teams traded the next four scores, the Bulldogs used their second tally of the back-and-forth rally to inspire a four-netter outburst through the 2:47-mark of the first half. Freshman midfielder Lacey Bjorndal (Sherwood, OR) completed her opening-frame hat trick during this stretch, while senior midfielder Emily Dalrymple (Snohomish, WA) notched her second goal of the night.
Although Whittier snagged another score before the end of the stanza, Redlands sat comfortably out in front at 8-3.
The second half saw a slowing of offense on both sides of the field, as the teams each found the back of the net only once through the first 18 minutes.
After a timeout by Head Coach Suzette Soboti, the Bulldogs refocused their scoring attack and unleashed three quick goals over the next two minutes to take a 12-4 advantage. Freshman attack McKenna Tychsen (Park City, UT) provided two of her three assists during this stretch, as Dalrymple, junior midfielder Stephanie Garrett (San Diego, CA), and junior midfielder Ellen Holt (Happy Valley, OR) each converted goals for the Maroon and Gray.
Both squads scored once more, resulting in the 13-5 victory for Redlands.
Beyond the stellar offense, Redlands was perfect on its clear attempts. Sophomore goalkeeper Gigja Hollyday (Aliso Viejo, CA) and freshman goalkeeper Quinn Egan (Greenwood Village, CO) orchestrated this success after splitting time between the pipes. The duo combined for four saves on the night.
The team also recorded 11 caused turnovers, with Holt, junior midfielder Sam Keary (Mission Viejo, CA), and freshman defender Jacquelyn Archey (Sammamish, WA) each recording two.
The Maroon and Gray dominated the draw-control battle with a 14-to-6 margin, as Garrett corralled a team-high four.
Redlands (2-1, 2-0 SCIAC) plays in its second of a six-game home stand on Wednesday, March 4, when it takes on Pomona-Pitzer Colleges at 7 p.m. on Farquhar Field.
