PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- The Lake Erie women's lacrosse team had their season opener on Thursday evening, battling against Daemen University. The Wildcats scored three goals in the opening five minutes and poured it on from there, taking an 11-0 lead into halftime and ultimately coming away with a 16-1 win.
The Storm move to 0-2 this season, with three more non-conference games remaining before Ashland kicks off the G-MAC portion of the schedule.
Game Recap
Daemen scored their first goal 2:30 after the opening draw control, and when the dust settled at the end of the first quarter, the Wildcats held a commanding 7-0 lead over the Storm. By halftime, their advantage had grown to 11-0, as their defense suffocated the Lake Erie attack, allowing just one Storm shot.
The second half went better for the Storm, as they fired off five shots in the third period while allowing just two Wildcat scores, a big improvement from before halftime. In the fourth, with 11 minutes remaining, freshman Gabriella Adie scored a man-down goal, her second career score in just her second career game, preventing the shutout.
Notable Takeaways
In the first two quarters, the Wildcats outshot LEC 24-1, as they completely ran away with the game before the Storm could settle in. Daemen's athleticism was on full display throughout, with a suffocating defensive effort that limited any signs of life from the home team. Only three Storm players recorded a shot, with four from Gabriella Adie, three from Brooke McNeal, and one from Rachel Rose.
Lake Erie won the draw control battle 10-9, with Lainey Davis pacing the team with three controls.
Amelia Shirk led the way defensively, accounting for three of the Storm's seven forced turnovers.
The Storm rotated between three goalies, with Bethany Kirkwood getting the start and playing the first quarter, recording three saves. Avery Artino replaced her for the second and third periods, stopping five shots, while Ainsley Sutter closed the game in the fourth with two saves.
Looking Ahead
Lake Erie travels to Point Park University next weekend for a game on Saturday, February 28th at 12 p.m. The Pioneers are entering their inaugural season after spending last year recruiting their current roster. They compete in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) and were predicted to finish fifth out of six teams by the MEC coaches.
