Lacrosse secures first winning record

by Blake Whitney
Staff Writer

After experiencing the heartbreak of losing in the final seconds April 12 against Northwestern, the Ohio lacrosse team made sure there would be no last-second losses this weekend. The Bobcats blasted non Niagara 16-6 and Canisius 19-1 in non-conference action.

Ohio (8-4) matched a school record for wins in a season with the two wins. Coach Anne Moelk said she was pleased with the two games the Bobcats played this weekend.

"The way we ended against Northwestern was disappointing and they wanted to prove to themselves they could play a good game," Moelk said. "They focused on that and it was the reason behind playing as well as they did (against Niagara)."

Attacker Lindsey Hart keyed the Bobcats' 16-6 romp against Niagara by scoring six goals. Midfielders/Attackers Lynz Keys and Caitlin Link added two goals apiece while six other Bobcats scored in the victory. Ohio scored three goals in the first three minutes to gain an advantage it would not relinquish.

Moelk said the Bobcats also turned in a dominating effort yesterday against Canisius. Ohio guaranteed its first winning season in a dominating fashion, downing the Golden Griffins 19-1. Canisius scored its lone goal just 3:18 into the contest, which tied the score at one. The Bobcats reeled off 18 unanswered goals and kept the Golden Griffins scoreless for the remainder of the game.

“As a team (Ohio) had the goal of making sure they played a good game for all 60 minutes and didn’t give up regardless of who’s playing and what the score is,” Moelk said. “I think what’s important is for them to recognize regardless of what the skill level of our opponent, we need to play that game whenever we play.”

The Bobcats had a balanced scoring effort in the win. Hart, attacker Melissa Menna, attacker Alyssa Trocher and midfielder Becky Oxman scored three goals apiece.

Every player on Ohio’s roster saw action in the Canisius game. While the offense had a particularly potent output in both games, Moelk said defender Ashley Bauer had an excellent weekend.

“She’s an intense player and she retained intensity throughout both games,” Moelk said. “She’s done a great job - she didn’t play defense until this year - and she’s accepted her role as a defender and really thrived in that role for us.”

Ohio finished its nine game road trip with a 6-3 record. The Bobcats play at home for the first time since March 10 in American Lacrosse Conference matches against Davidson and Penn State next weekend. Ohio faces Davidson 4 p.m. Friday at Pruitt Field.