OBERLIN, Ohio – The Oberlin College women's lacrosse team celebrated senior day in style, defeating the visiting DePauw University Tigers, 19-8, on a wet and rainy Saturday afternoon at the Austin E. Knowlton Athletics Complex.
Prior to the start of the match, the program honored seniors
Michaela Puterbaugh,
Sara Phister,
Maggie Mullard,
Morgan Daruwala,
Sloane Garelick,
Maureen Coffey, and
Alexa L'Insalata.
Oberlin wasted no time in opening the game's scoring as Coffey finished off a feed from
Eliza Amber just 29 seconds into the contest.
After the Tigers found the equalizer, the Yeowomen responded with four straight scores to create some separation.
Amber continued her giving ways, setting up Darauwla for her 10th goal of the season to put the Yeowomen back out in front. Coffey followed with a free-position goal and later added her third of the game with the help of a Mullard assist. Prior to the hat trick, Phister got in the mix as she sent in a goal after getting setup by Daruwala.
The Tigers' Emma Flynn would stop the scoring run, but Mullard and Amber would answer right back to make it 7-2. Following a goal from DePauw's Nicole Gibson at the 13:13 mark of the first half to cut the lead down to four, the game was delayed for 30 minutes due to lightning in the area.
Following the delay, the Yeowomen came back out and made a statement by breaking the game open. It was a string of five unanswered Oberlin goals that featured three from Phister and one each from Amber and Mullard that put the Oberlin comfortably out in front.
Both teams continued to fight through the elements and with 17 seconds left in the half, play was halted once again. However, neither team would score after the restart as Oberlin led 13-6 at the official intermission.
It only took 3:50 for the Yeowomen to capture their first goal of the second half as
Sydney Garvis found the back of the DePauw net. Amber followed and then Mullard notched a second half hat-trick in the matter of 10:33 to move the Oberlin advantage to 18-6. Mullard's first second-half score invoked a running clock, which sped up a near three hour contest that featured two stoppages in play due to lightening and thunder.
Amber collected her fourth score of the day to cap off a 19-goal performance from the Crimson and Gold.
DePauw would add two scores late but an Oberlin victory was inevitable.
On Senior Day, the Oberlin fourth-years shined. Mullard led the attack with five scores tying a season-high mark set against Kenyon and Denison. Phister, and Coffey tallied four goals against the Tigers, while Daruwala got one score in the win.
Amber was the day's top point-getter, tallying seven points on four goals and three assists. She was followed by Mullard with six.
In goal, L'Insalata made key saves, finishing with 11, and elevating her season mark to 82. L'Insalata holds a save percentage of .599, top of the North Coast Athletic Conference.
The season finale win over the Tigers moves the Yeowomen to 13-1 overall and 7-1 against NCAC opponents.
With the 7-1 mark in the league, the Yeowomen sit alone in second and will be the two seed in the NCAC Tournament set to begin on Wednesday, May 3.
The Yeowomen will host the semifinal match on Wednesday night underneath the lights of the Austin E. Knowlton Athletics Complex.
