Scots 6-0 For Second Time in Last Four Years

Jenny Grossmann
Jenny Grossmann
Jordan Stone
Jordan Stone

The College of Wooster women's lacrosse team's ability to strike in transition separated the Fighting Scots from host John Carroll University, as the Black and Gold improved to 6-0 on the season with a 14-6 win on Saturday afternoon at Don Shula Stadium in University Hts., Ohio.

Wooster's quick three-goal swing at the onset of the second half held as the key turning point in the win. Senior Megan Healy won the opening draw of the second half, and the Scots immediately attacked, with senior Laura Papp firing a shot on goal just 18 ticks into the stanza. Papp stuck with the play, scooped up the groundball on the rebound, and buried her 11th goal of the season moments later to up Wooster's lead to 5-3.

Papp wasn't done just yet, as the senior struck again with 28:06 left, when Wooster capitalized on the player-up advantage.

Just before Wooster's third unanswered goal to start the second half, the Scots' aggressive ride in the clearing game forced yet another Blue Streak (4-2) miscue. Junior Jenny Grossmann won the groundball on John Carroll's 21st turnover on the afternoon before senior Emma Lawrence dished off a free-position attempt to sophomore Ashley Boersma, who fired in her 14th goal of the season.

Sophomore Alexa Mellis answered Brooke McQuinn's goal to bump Wooster's lead out to 8-4, and that marked the first of a 5-1 swing for the Scots. Lawrence took charge offensively during that stretch with all three of her goals, the final one of which made it a 12-5 game with just over 8:30 to go.

Sophomore Caitlyn O'Connor etched her name in the scoring column with 6:22 to go, as the Scots again upped the ante to seven. Senior Jordan Stone set up the tally with a groundball on a rebound and the helper.

In the first half, John Carroll opened a 3-1 lead when Alex Heishman's free-position shot found the back of the net with 17:27 to go, but Wooster's defense regrouped to post a clean sheet for the rest of the stanza.

On the other side of the field, Wooster rattled off three straight scores to end the half, include a pair by Healy, the second of which bumped the Scots into the lead with 7:10 left.

Speaking of Healy, the Scots' senior scooped up 10 of Wooster's 43 groundballs, won six of the team's nine draws, and tallied five caused turnovers.

Wooster, which had 18 caused turnovers on the afternoon, received three each from Lawrence, Stone, and senior Rose Taylor.

Lawrence led the offense with three goals and a trio of assists, while sophomore Katie Shideler finished with five saves.

McQuinn was John Carroll's standout on the day with seven groundballs, five draw controls, and three goals, but she did have eight turnovers.

Overall, John Carroll had 35 turnovers in the game, and the Blue Streaks were 14-for-24 on clears.

Wooster's now 6-0 for the second time in the last four years, and the Scots have still yet to allow double-digit goals.

Noteworthy, the win marked head coach Elizabeth Ford's 150th at Wooster.

Next, Wooster hosts Baldwin Wallace University (3-3) at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.