Women’s Lacrosse Loses in Double Overtime
by Blake Rehberg

The women’s lacrosse team continued to struggle to instill their tradition of success in the young team. A tough 7-6 loss in double overtime to Wittenberg and a 13-8 loss to Ohio Wesleyan Thursday dropped the Yeowomen’s record to 1-5.

Before break the team lost their opener to Indiana University of Pennsylvania 7-2. They won their next contest with a convincing 16-0 victory. The Yeowomen controlled the play of the game.
“It was definitely a good win,” senior co-captain MarySara Salvania said.
The team’s next game was against Notre Dame of Maryland. Notre Dame took the lead early, but the Yeowomen battled back and the score was tied for most of the third period. Unfortunately, Oberlin couldn’t hold on and Notre Dame took the game 13-9.

“We definitely kicked it up in the second half,” Salvania said.

Oberlin’s next opponent was Washington and Lee, a tough opponent that was ranked 20th in the nation last year and has 13th returning players. The Yeowomen went out to play a very defensive game.
“Our defense played really good in that game,” Salvania said. 
Unfortunately, that defensive set may have hampered the Yeowomen’s offensive capability. Washington and Lee out shot Oberlin 34-9.
“We learned a lot in that game.” Salvania said. “We learned to be aggressive, giving it our all and not playing it so safe.”

The Yeowomen proved their scoring capability and determination in last Sunday’s game against Wittenberg, coming from behind to tie the game and send it into overtime. In the first overtime period senior Maya Leonard-Cahn scored, putting the Yeowomen on top. Unfortunately, Wittenberg scored in the dying seconds sending the game into a sudden-death overtime period where Wittenberg came out on top.

“It was just a big disappointment,” Salvania said. 
The Yeowomen traveled to Ohio Wesleyan for what turned out to be another disappointing loss.

The team has been struggling to win games not because of individual talent but because of working as a team. Yet the team has a strong history of coming out on top. They have appeared in the conference finals for the past three years. 
“With only five returning players, it is difficult to instill the idea that we have a tradition of winning,” Salvania said.
The problem is definitely not lack of talent. The first-years on the team are really showing their potential. First-year goalkeeper Alexis Stoller leads the conference in save percentage. First-year Maggie Douglas leads the team in points with six goals and six assists for a total of 12 points. 
“[Douglas] is definitely an asset to our team. She’s stepped up and taken a lot of pressure,” Salvania said.
The Yeowomen will play Redlands at home Saturday at 11 a.m.