Family and friends filled the stands at Vonnie Gros Field to celebrate two elite, West Chester University senior lacrosse players, Sarah Dennison and Siena Childs. The Lady Rams carried the celebration straight through to the game, defeating IUP 14-8, and clinching a PSAC playoff-berth.
From the first whistle, the Rams grabbed control of the game and never looked back. The offense has really clicked for the Rams in these past few weeks, and Saturday’s game was no different. West Chester jumped out too a 5-2 lead, but a IUP goal with under a minute left minimized the Rams lead to two just before the half, or so it seemed.
Golden Rams sophomore star Ashley Pyle worked her magic, finding the net with minimal time on the clock in the first half to give the Rams a three-goal lead. Pyle has been on top of her game this season, leading the Rams with 33 goals, which sits her at top 20 in the conference.
Dina Cifelli, another sophomore who has raised the bar for the Rams, wasted no time as the first half began, finding the back of the net again for the Rams just nine seconds in, which the Crimson Hawks could never recover from. Cifelli has also been a standout-star for the Golden Rams this season, leading the team in assists (33) while also being second in points (47).
The win comes in the middle of a hot streak for the Lady Rams, as they secured two more conference victories earlier in the week.
Tuesday, the Rams traveled to Shippensburg University to face off with the conference foe Red Raiders. West Chester caught their stride midway through the first half with an eight-goal swing, putting the Lady Rams up 10-2. The combined scoring effort was too much for Shippensburg to stop, ultimately sealing a 23-9 victory for the Rams.[pullquote]With their three impressive victories this week, the Golden Rams jump into the third spot in the PSAC standings[/pullquote]
Similarly, West Chester had their way Friday afternoon with Edinboro University, dominating on offense identically to Tuesday in a 23-6 win. 15 different members on the Golden Rams found the net in the blowout victory, with a solid performance behind them from freshman goalie Paige Mitros.
With their three impressive victories this week, the Golden Rams jump into the third spot in the PSAC standings, sitting behind conference rivals Mercyhurst and powerhouse Lock Haven. The win Sunday also clinched another PSAC playoff berth for the Rams.
Two more games await the surging Lady Rams this week, hoping to keep piling on the wins to their already five-game victory streak. A match-up with non-conference LIU-Post will be first up at home on Wednesday, followed by the season finale with conference opponent East Stroudsburg University on Saturday away.
AJ Arcaini is a third-year student majoring in communication studies with a minor in journalism. He can be reached at AA788494@wcupa.edu