The Ramapo women's lacrosse team can be described in many different ways, but "quitters" is definitely not one of them. Despite a 19-9 loss to Rowan University last Friday and a weekend of no practice, the Roadrunners demonstrated true commitment and talent during their home game against Old Westbury on Tuesday.
They showed offensive prowess that hasn't been too obvious in previous games, scoring six goals within the first 10 minutes and leaving Old Westbury's offense stunned and silent. Friday's tough defeat may have been the driving factor behind this sudden explosion of offensive domination, or things might be starting to click for the Roadrunners attack.
"We wanted to win, that's all. Sure we were disappointed about Rowan, but we weren't thinking about that today," said rookie Lindsay Hughes, the team's top scorer.
Hughes netted five goals in the Rowan game on Friday and added eight more against Old Westbury to bring her total up to 39. Hughes is one of the team's strongest attack players; if she's not scoring the goal, she's usually the assist behind it.
However, Hughes wasn't the only one tallying up goals in Tuesday's game; the entire team showed that they all had the skill to rack up some points. Some other standout players from the game were junior Taylor Jade Nicholas, who nailed four goals of her own, captain and senior Amanda Ferry, who totaled two goals and two assists, and rookie Briana Vitulano, who also netted two goals.
Not only was Ramapo's offense on point, the defense was just as prominent throughout the game. Sophomore goalie Reagan Vier held her own against Old Westbury's relentless offense, allowing four goals in the first half and holding the opposing team scoreless throughout the second half. Old Westbury wasn't lacking in shots-on-goal either, with a total of 15 by the end of the game. However, Vier continued to shut down any chance Westbury had at attempting a comeback.
"[Vier] was amazing back there," said freshman defender Kelsey Lawrence. "She's always good, but [Tuesday] she just wasn't letting anyone past. She was like a wall."
Ramapo's defense played extremely tight throughout the game, not allowing Westbury to take advantage of the few shot opportunities they had. Together the defense and offense appeared to be the strongest they've been all season, a was evident by the final score of 19-4.
Perhaps one of the best qualities of this year's team is its ability to persevere even when the odds are against them. Being the underdog is not the ideal position for some, but for Ramapo it could mean shocking their opponents if they keep showing the tenacity that they did on Tuesday. Now it seems the team is slowly but surely learning how to mesh with one another, using each other, and playing as one. This blowout win could finally provide the confidence booster the team has been needing to start a climb to the top.
kshea1@ramapo.edu
