West Chester lacrosse continued their dominant start this past Wednesday, as they handily defeated Shepherd University here at Vonnie Gros Field by a score of 21–4.
The Lady Rams were on a roll heading into this game, and their momentum would not be stopped. Under seven minutes into the contest, Shepherd University was already staring at a 3–0 deficit. Tatum Altman, Tara Morrissey and Kelly Baumann were the respective goal scorers for WCU.
The scoring only increased after that: West Chester scored 11 and 10 goals in the first and second half. The goal of the game was possibly scored by third-year Helen Kreschollek when she scored a behind-the-back goal with under 10 minutes left in the match.
This victory against Shepherd marked West Chester’s fifth straight win, leaving their record sitting at a perfect 5–0 heading into Saturday’s matchup against Kutztown.
Altman, who scored five goals in Wednesday’s contest is a main component of this squad’s offensive juggernaut. Her goal tally after the victory against Shepherd was at 19 goals—that is almost four goals per game.
I talked with her about one of the best plays of the game that all started with her.
Q: In a game where you had five goals and had plenty of highlights, does your great cross-field assist to Lindsey Monigle top any of those goals?
A: For sure. Assists are often overlooked when it comes to goals, but they rank higher in my book.
We also talked about the team’s overall play through the first five games.
Q: The team is rolling on offense right now, to say the least. How much fun is it right now as the team is creating and cashing in on so many chances?
A: It’s a lot of fun when my team is successful on offense (and defense). We all work so hard at practice, so to have that hard work payoff is really rewarding.
Head Coach Ginny Martino commented on her team’s performance so far:
Q: Your squad is steamrolling opponents offensively, scoring 20+ points in three out of five matches. How has the team been able to create so many opportunities?
A: We have a lot of very creative attackers this year. Our core players Tara Morissey, Lindsay Monigle, Trisha Baud, Tatum Altman and Drew McKinney have all returned. That core group of talent mixed in with some of our newer players like Hannah Stanislawczyk, Kelly Baumann, Taylor O’Brien and Meg O’Donnell makes a very fun and potent scoring unit!
Heading into Saturday’s match against Kutztown, Kutztown’s record was sitting at 1–5. Martino commented on facing teams that are struggling/lower in the standings:
“We honestly need to approach each and every game not underestimating our opponents. We have a target on our backs as everyone is looking to beat us this year. Every opponent can be a threat if we do not come prepared to play. Our players understand that and we are working on improving our game each and every day.”
Well, West Chester sure was prepared to play Saturday afternoon. The Lady Rams sent the Golden Bears home packing in another large margin of victory, the score ended as 21–3.
First-year Hannah Stanislawczyk had a field day, scoring six goals. Tatum continued her great offensive production with three goals and five assists. This game was competitive early on, with West Chester holding a slim 3–2 lead.
Then, the team scored nine unanswered goals heading into halftime. Kutztown never recovered, scoring only one more goal in the entire match. Coach Martino and her team are turning Vonnie Gros Field into a fortress early into this season.
Their next matchup is another home game, this time hosting Shippensburg University this Wednesday. For more information on the WCU lacrosse team or any other sports program, check out www.wcupagoldenrams.com.