The University of Redlands women's lacrosse team returned to action on Wednesday night when it traveled to Eagle Rock to face the Occidental College Tigers. On the heels of a strong, second-half defensive effort, the Bulldogs captured a 14-8 victory to open Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) competition for 2015.
During the opening frame, the teams traded scores in back-and-forth fashion, with Redlands gaining a slight 4-2 advantage by firing off consecutive scores in a five-minute span. Sophomore attack player Dulce Moll (Mercer Island, WA) bookended the three-goal rally, while three different players provided assists for the Maroon and Gray.
However, the Tigers answered right back to even the count at four apiece with 12:51 left on the first-half clock.
The teams battled through a defensive struggle through the end of the period, with Redlands' junior midfielder Stephanie Garrett (San Diego, CA) firing off scores at the 12-minute and one-minute marks to propel her team to a 6-4 advantage at the break.
The Bulldogs opened the second half with a 4-1 run to secure a 10-5 lead with 18:31 left in the game. Redlands reveled in its diverse offense during this scoring spurt by utilizing four different goal-scorers. Freshman attack player McKenna Tychsen (Park City, UT) capped off the rally for the Maroon and Gray.
From here, Redlands remained in front with a well-balanced attack that was complemented by stellar defense that limited the Tigers to just three more goals in the half. In the final 30 minutes, freshman goalkeeper Quinn Egan (Greenwood Village, CO) stepped up with seven saves between the pipes, while junior defender Jessica Jackson (Poway, CA) tallied a pair of caused turnovers.
Moll and Garrett each unleashed four scores for the Maroon and Gray, while Moll also accounted for three assists. In addition, the duo hauled in six of the team's 10 draw controls.
Alida Beck led the Tiger offense with four goals.
Redlands (1-1, 1-0 SCIAC) returns home to Farquhar Field on Saturday, February 28, for a 7 p.m. match against the Poets of Whittier College.