For the Geneseo women’s lacrosse team, its games in Florida were more than just sunshine and palm trees – they were record-breaking.
In the Knights’ first game in Orlando against Western Connecticut State University, senior attack Caroline Buonocore scored a team-high six goals in the 18-6 victory to become the all-time leading scorer in Geneseo history.
Buonocore entered the game tied with Lauren Chatterton ‘05 with 222 points, needing just one point to become the top scorer in the 19-year history of the program.
“One of the things that has been nice about [Buonocore] is that she has helped develop a new standard here for Geneseo lacrosse in terms of work ethic and commitment,” head coach Carly Ritchlin said. “She brings everything she has to every single practice, every single game, every single run [and] every single lift. She has been an integral part of setting that standard for younger girls coming into the program to see, OK, this is what we do here.”
Nonetheless, having this work ethic does have its pitfalls. While it was once easy to run up the field and score, the senior attack found herself being double and triple teamed every time she got the ball.
Buonocore has handled the extra attention on the field well and has become a more complete player because of it.
“Being a leading scorer and having all that pressure on you, I think she has embraced it,” Ritchlin said. “We have worked with her over the years to explain, ‘There is a reason you are being tripled teamed; don’t get frustrated.’”
This record comes just four games into the season, which likely means Buonocore will be adding to her already impressive resume and helping Geneseo continue its winning record.
So far this season, the Knights have done just that: win. After the game against Western Connecticut, Geneseo faced Springfield College, where it let go of a 7-3 lead and was forced into overtime. Luckily for the Knights, their offense came through in the end as junior attack Katey Hart scored four goals, including the game-winner in the fourth overtime period, as the No. 9 Knights escaped Springfield 10-9.
The Knights were back on colder ground on March 11, but the results were the same as they defeated the Rochester Institute of Technology 9-2 led by senior midfielder Emily Haggerty, who tallied three goals on the day.
Geneseo will face No. 2 SUNY Cortland at 1 p.m. on Friday March 28 at Monroe Community College due to inclement weather.