The Geneseo women’s lacrosse team is still undefeated with a record of 11-0. Week after week, the team has come prepared to play and has left with well-deserved victories. This past week was no different.
The women defeated SUNY Brockport on Friday April 6 in an overtime thriller and then cruised past SUNY New Paltz on Saturday April 7. They followed up those performances with a 20-4 rout of Buffalo State on Wednesday April 11.
The matchup against Brockport was surprisingly close. Brockport came into the game with just one win for the season, but they still managed to put up a fight. It was a game in which Geneseo’s team displayed their mental toughness after a slow start.
“I was extremely proud of the team for staying in it mentally even though Brockport took an early lead,” head coach Carly Ritchlin said.
The Knights were able to secure an 11-10 win after an overtime goal by senior midfielder Erin Cregan. Cregan also led the Knights in scoring with four goals on the day.
The women handled their matchup against New Paltz with ease after their tight game the previous day. The Knights won 15-3 by dominating in all facets of the game.
They were able to control possession by winning 14 draws to New Paltz’s five, and they berated the New Paltz defense by firing 46 shots in the game. Their advantage in possession paired with their ability to adjust quickly in the defensive end and force turnovers in the midfield area enabled them to hold their opponent to just three goals and 12 shots.
“I think the amazing efforts of our attackers that cause turnovers on the transition rides really denied New Paltz the chance to get it on their end even if they won the draw,” senior midfielder Karen Boronczyk said. “That plus our defense’s ability to adjust to their offensive plays quickly and our amazing goalie, Tess McFadden, were the reasons we were able to keep them to three goals.”
The aggressiveness the Knights displayed on offense earned them an astounding 18 free position shots. It was an impressive performance. Eight different Knights recorded at least one goal in the game.
Sophomore midfielder Tessa Doody led all scorers with three goals after having to leave the field early in the first half due to an injury she received on a diving shot attempt.
The Knights have one more upcoming game this week against SUNY Cortland on Saturday April 14.
The game could prove to be the toughest yet for the team as Cortland currently sits in second in the SUNYAC. The Knights sit in first with perfect records both in and out of conference play.
As the women continue to grab attention with their stellar play, they can expect their opponents to give an increased effort against them. Their competitors, whether they have winning or losing records, will be trying to hand the Knights their first loss of the season.
It can be expected that the Knights will continue climbing in the national rankings after their wins this past week. The women have shown that even in the tight games, they come out on top, which will only make them better as the season rolls on and the opponents get tougher.