FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Lewis & Clark College women's lacrosse kept their postseason dreams alive in emphatic fashion Saturday, racing past Pacific University 19-2 in a Northwest Conference matchup at Hanson Stadium.
THE BASICS
Lewis & Clark 19, Pacific 2
(Lewis & Clark 11-5, 4-3 NWC)
(Pacific 4-12, 2-6 NWC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Pioneers stormed out of the gate with seven unanswered goals in the first quarter and never looked back. Sophomore
Sage Swegle reached another career milestone, scoring her 100th career goal late in the opening frame to cap the early run.
Swegle and fellow sophomore
Evelyn Burnett led the way with six goals apiece, with Burnett recording her first career double hat trick. First-year
Mack Searle added four goals and two assists and dominated on the draw, collecting six draw controls.
Lewis & Clark set the tone early, with
Ally Vargas-Buell, Burnett, and Searle all finding the back of the net in the first 10 minutes. After three more quick goals in a 90-second span, Swegle's historic goal made it 7-0.
Pacific briefly cut into the deficit with a goal late in the first quarter and another early in the second, but the Pios quickly responded with five straight goals to take a 12-2 halftime lead. The defense clamped down from there, holding the Boxers scoreless for the final 38 minutes.
Swegle scored four of her six goals after halftime, while Burnett completed her perfect shooting day, going 6-for-6 on shots on goal. Searle added her fourth goal midway through the fourth quarter to cap a dominant showing.
The defense was equally strong, allowing just two second-half shots. Junior
Kate Meinhard led the way with five ground balls and three caused turnovers, while sophomore
Lauren Elliott and first-year
Kaedance Stubbs chipped in four ground balls each.
First-year
Kaitlin McRae earned her 10th win of the season in goal, while sophomore
Zoey Hamel-Hyland closed out the second half.
BY THE NUMBERS
- McRae finished with one save and three ground balls.
- The Pioneers outshot the Boxers 34-7 and held advantages in ground balls (27-15) and draw controls (14-8).
- Meinhard and Elliott led the team with three caused turnovers each.
- Lewis & Clark was nearly perfect on free-position shots, converting 8-of-10 opportunities.
- Sophomore Aviana Gonzales finished with one goal, two ground balls, and two caused turnovers.
- McRae is second in the NWC with a .444 save percentage.
WHO'S NEXT
Lewis & Clark travels to George Fox University for their first-ever countable game against the Bruins on Sunday at 1 p.m. The regular-season finale has significant implications, with a spot in the Northwest Conference tournament on the line for the Pioneers.