West Chester University’s women’s lacrosse team has gotten off to a tremendous start to the 2023 season, winning their first nine games by a combined 96 goals.
Most recently, the Golden Rams traveled to Kutztown on Wednesday for an in-conference matchup against the Golden Bears. It was a dominant performance for West Chester from the start, as they scored the first four goals of the contest. They took a commanding 6–1 lead at the end of the first quarter, with Hannah Stanislawczyk and Keri Barnett scoring two goals apiece. The second quarter saw 10 points scored between the two teams and West Chester went into the locker room with a commanding 13–4 lead. The Golden Rams played with a more conservative approach in the second half, scoring just six goals, which pales in comparison to their first half performance. However, Jessica Gorr was a force in net for West Chester and would not allow Kutztown to get back into the game, allowing just four goals following intermission. Gorr, a senior from nearby Exton, posted a career high in saves with 14 and has been a critical part of the team’s success so far this season. In the end, West Chester emerged victorious with a 19–8 victory, earning their fifth conference victory on the season and ninth overall.
Barnett, a sophomore from Glenolden, led the team in scoring for the game, scoring six goals, and adding an assist for good measure. Stanislawczyk, a junior from Mohnton, went on to score five goals in the contest, adding to her team high 37 goals on the campaign. Lindsay Monigle, a graduate student from Rehoboth Beach, was a big facilitator in the matchup, adding four assists to go along with four goals for a total of eight points. Monigle has a team high 26 assists on the year, with Barnett the next closest with 10, which shows how effective she has been in getting her teammates involved.
The team is led by head coach Ginny Martino, who has turned the Golden Rams into a perennial powerhouse during her 25 year tenure on the sidelines. She has compiled a total of 372 wins in 453 games for a remarkable 81% winning percentage. Martino has led West Chester to 14 PSAC Titles and 10 National Championship appearances. She also has three PSAC Coach of the Year awards to her name, and is well on her way to another this season.
Looking ahead, West Chester will return to action on Wednesday at home for a matchup against Millersville. Following this the team will have six more contests on the season as they look to continue their unbeaten streak and make a postseason push. All six games are against PSAC rivals so the home stretch will be a great opportunity for the Golden Rams to ensure that they clinch the conference throne. From there they will advance to the PSAC Tournament and likely the NCAA Tournament where they will look to return to the championship for the first time since 2019.
For more information on West Chester’s women’s lacrosse team and all things WCU sports including rosters, schedules and ticket information, visit the Golden Rams athletics website.
Erick Klambara is a fourth-year media and culture major with a minor in journalism. EK924666@wcupa.edu