Junior midfielder Tessa Doody and junior defender Cassidy O’Rourke team up to defend an Oswego midfielder. Geneseo defeated Oswego 13-11 on Wednesday April 10 (Josie Kwan/Assoc. Photo Editor).
Despite a rocky start to the season, the Geneseo women’s lacrosse team seems to have found their rhythm. After two 20-goal games with three or fewer goals by the opposing team, the Knights look to build upon the momentum they have behind them.
In their second of two blowout games, the Knights matched up against the SUNY Fredonia Blue Devils on April 3. Geneseo scored eight goals in the first 12 minutes of play, as junior attacker Tessa Doody scored three times in five minutes off assists from senior midfielder Maddie Lee and sophomore attacker Hannah Marafioti.
Entering the second half up 13-1, the Knights continued to dominate the Blue Devils until time expired and the final score read 20-2. With six Knights scoring multiple times in the game, including three apiece by Doody, senior defender Mallory Max and first-year attacker April Rowell, this game showed the rest of the SUNYAC that Geneseo has multiple offensive threats to game plan for.
The exemplary performances of the Knights are thanks to the leaders on the team that keep everyone on track and in the zone. Although some believe that a few certain players bring leadership skills to the team, the Knights truly rely on everyone to play that part. Head coach Carly Ritchlin emphasized the importance of everyone setting examples for each other.
“Leadership is crucial for successful teams. We have an incredible group of leaders across the board,” Ritchlin said. “We don’t rely on just the captains; we have other players that step up when we need them.”
After the convincing win over Fredonia, Geneseo hosted SUNYAC rival SUNY Oneonta on Friday April 5. Unlike earlier games, the Knights faced more of a challenge against the Red Dragons.
Geneseo started the game with a 4-0 run but found themselves down 8-7 entering the second half. With a stellar performance by first-year goalie Margaret Rosaschi, who saved seven shots in the second half, the Knights came out on top 14-8.
Max led the team with eight points and five draw controls, followed by Marafioti and sophomore attacker Jacqui Thorsen who each notched four goals including Thorsen’s future game winner early in the second half.
Geneseo hosted the Oswego Lakers on Wednesday April 10 and won in a tight game by a score of 13-11.
Now that the Knights have found themselves on a four-game win streak against conference opponents, they can see how well they are meshing as a team.
Max explained how the season reflects a non-stop process of small tweaks and maturation that leads to this team chemistry.
“I definitely think that our team is growing each time we are put on the field together,” Max said. “We adjust depending on circumstance and opponent, who is on and off that day.”
Staying in the win column for the remaining five games of the season remains the top priority for Geneseo as they continue conference play.
Only one of the five games will be at home in College Stadium, making it a tough stretch on the way to the SUNYAC playoffs. This fact does not bother the players, however, who know they must remain focused on the task at hand.
“We always talk about how there is one thing we can control and that is ourselves in our reactions and in our play,” Max said. “I think that is why we are successful and can look beyond things like someone else’s stadium.”
Having the ability to grow as a team on the field and perform just as well at home or away will help the Knights continue their stellar play and make a push for the SUNYAC playoffs which begin on April 30.