Through the peaks and valleys of the 2016 season, the University of Redlands women's lacrosse team rallied for a memorable showing that included a six-game winning streak against multiple non-conference foes from all around the country. Overall, the Bulldogs put together a 10-8 record for the program's seventh-consecutive season above .500, en route to a 4-7 mark in conference action to tie for fourth place in the increasingly talented Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC). Finally, this season produced three All-Region performers, four All-SCIAC honorees, multiple school records, and endless highlights along the way.
The Maroon and Gray jumped right into conference action with a two-game road stint that resulted in a 1-1 showing with a 13-7 win over Occidental College. The Bulldogs overcame an early 2-4 deficit against the Tigers by rattling off six-straight goals to take a lead that they never relinquished. Senior midfielder Stephanie Garrett (San Diego, CA) and freshman attack player Hayley Donnelly (Bellaire, TX) combined for a hat trick in a 38-second span to initiate the Maroon and Gray's surge.
Three days later, Redlands recorded its second SCIAC win of the season with a 13-10 decision over Whittier College during the Bulldogs' home opener. After trailing by three, the Maroon and Gray erupted with a 10-1 run that extended into the second half to secure the lead and the win. In addition to junior attack player Dulce Moll (Mercer Island, WA) and sophomore midfielder Lacey Bjorndal (Sherwood, OR) combining for four goals during this spurt, Garrett went off for four of her team-leading five goals to put the Bulldogs back on top.
Following a pair of SCIAC losses by a total of three goals, the Bulldogs responded with an impressive 15-1 thrashing over Albion College (MI) on March 8. Redlands successfully held the Britons scoreless during the opening 30 minutes, thanks in part to sophomore goalkeeper Quinn Egan's (Greenwood Village, CO) two saves but also due to the defensive presence of seniors Grace Martin (Portland, OR), Jessica Jackson (Poway, CA), and Emily Bilenduke (Breckenridge, CO), sophomores Katherine Koehler (Jackson, WY) and Denise Guerrero (Glendale, CA), and freshmen Sarah Guy (Verona, WI) and Alexis Pound (Washington, DC). In addition, the Bulldogs welcomed back senior defender Angelyn Brown (Danville, CA), following her recovery from injuries sustained in a car accident in October. On offense, sophomore attack player Lyndsey Ballantyne (Amherst, NH) and freshman attack player Summer Stafford (Littleton, CO) bookended the second period with their respective first netters at Redlands.
On March 14, Redlands enjoyed a unique opportunity when it faced off in a friendly exhibition match against Meiji University of Tokyo, Japan. The Bulldogs used nearly every available player in a total-team effort that propelled them to a 17-4 victory with 11 different goal-scorers.
The Maroon and Gray kept rolling to victory over the next seven of eight games through April 13.
In the Bulldogs' 15-9 triumph over Wheaton College (MA), Garrett nabbed 10 draw controls in a fierce showing. During the season, she not only broke the single-season record in this category but now owns the career mark as well.
Just two days later, Redlands left its mark on another school record by dishing out 12 assists to tie the single-game standard in an 18-1 thrashing of the University of Puget Sound (WA). Garrett, freshman attack player Kelsey Ruhl (Seattle, WA), and junior midfielder Breanne Rideout (San Diego, CA) led the charge with two assists apiece while seven other Bulldogs provided one. Senior defender Sam Keary (Mission Viejo, CA) led the defense by causing three of UPS' nine turnovers while also snagging three ground balls and scoring a goal of her own.
While competing in back-to-back days, Redlands rattled off 18 goals for the second time in an 18-8 decision over DePauw University (IN). Among the highlights, Keary and Bjorndal each fired off a four-goal showing, and Donnelly recorded three assists. Senior goalkeeper Izzy Baez (Zionsville, IN) finished out her half as the last line of defense with four saves and eventually garnered the win after making the start.
The Bulldogs completed their impressive win streak with a pair of in-region wins in Oregon. With the score knotted at eight apiece early in the second half, the Bulldogs unleashed a 7-1 run to pull away and earn the 15-9 victory over Pacific University. Garrett continued to fire on all cylinders by notching six goals, to go along with four draw controls and two ground balls. Against George Fox University, Redlands scored 10 goals in the second half to secure a 15-8 win over the Bruins. Freshman midfielder Hanna Morford (West Linn, OR) scored a hat trick, while Ruhl provided the only other multi-goal showing with her two scores.
After returning home to Farquhar Field in early April, Redlands faced two worthy SCIAC opponents in Chapman and Occidental. After dropping an extremely close game to the Panthers, Redlands rallied to defeat Occidental in a very exciting, back-and-forth game. Keary caused some trouble for the Tigers during a breakout night by scoring five goals, including the game-winner with 48 seconds remaining, to lead the Bulldogs to a hard-fought 11-10 victory.
To start the final stretch of the SCIAC season, Redlands traveled to Whittier College on April 13. The Bulldogs broke open a 4-4 halftime tie and held off a late push by the Poets to secure an important 12-10 victory. Despite leading by five goals with 11:28 remaining in the game, the Maroon and Gray was forced to stymie the Poets' comeback effort with a strong defensive showing. A huge part of the Bulldogs' success came off the stick of Egan, who served as a brick wall and racked up 13 saves in the second half. In addition, the team caused 15 Poet turnovers, with senior midfielder Ellen Holt (Happy Valley, OR), Bilenduke, and Brown each accounting for two.
Unfortunately, the Bulldogs came up short in their final two matches and entered the SCIAC Championship Tournament as the No. 4-seed. Redlands squared off against fifth-seeded Occidental with hopes of repeating the same hard-fought result as on April 9. With each team overcoming a three-goal deficit, the Bulldogs watched their late-game lead slip away, as the Tigers forced overtime and handed the home team a heartbreaking 10-11 loss to end Redlands' season.
Upon conclusion of the campaign, the Maroon and Gray raked in numerous awards for individual and team accomplishments during the 2016 season.
After finishing tied-for-fourth in the conference, the Bulldogs gained four All-SCIAC honorees for their contributions during the season. Highlighted by her previous pair of Offensive Athlete of the Year awards, Garrett earned her fourth-consecutive All-SCIAC honor to cap off a solid career in the SCIAC. Moll landed on the First Team for the second year in a row, while Keary completed an unprecedented four-year career as a dual-sport student-athlete with back-to-back All-SCIAC nods in lacrosse. Finally, Brown was chosen to represent the Bulldogs on the SCIAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
In addition, Garrett earned her fourth-consecutive First-Team All-Region nod from the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA). Keary landed on the Second Team for back-to-back selections, while Moll also received her second honor in as many years with this year's Second-Team award.
Keary concluded her impressive dual-sport career by being named the 2016 Frank Serrao Senior Female Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year at Redlands.
With a stellar collective GPA, the women's lacrosse team joined the elite list of IWLCA Zag Sports Academic Honor Squads. In addition, the Bulldogs gained four individuals on the IWLCA Zag Sports Academic Honor Roll. Baez, Garrett, Bilenduke, and Keary also represented the Maroon and Gray among the honorees for scholarly success as an student-athlete.
Although the Redlands women's lacrosse team will be losing eight amazing seniors, the Bulldogs boast enthusiasm for the future of their program and look forward to the return of great veteran Bulldogs. Under Head Coach Suzette Soboti's leadership, the Maroon and Gray strives to return to the top of the conference and beyond in the coming years.