ALBION, Mich. – Trailing by three goals late in the game, the Albion College women's lacrosse team completed the comeback to overpower Siena Heights University, 23-18, on Wednesday, Mar. 11 at the Davis Athletic Complex. Sophomore Chrsytelle Lopez helped lead the Britons (4-2, 0-0) to victory by tallying 11 goals, a new program record.
The Purple and Gold rattled off three goals in the first four minutes with two scores from Sophomore Chrystelle Lopez and one from freshman Addie Pastor. The Saints responded by netting a pair of goals to trail by one. Undeterred, Albion went on another 3-0 run from three different Britons. Two more strikes from Lopez expanded the Albion advantage to 8-4 at the 10:00 mark. Then, Sienna Heights exploded with five unanswered goals to take its first lead of the game. However, with under a minute remaining in the half, seniors Darcy Muns and Kate Mullins found the back of the net to retake the lead, 10-9.
Junior Abby Sheklow got on the board for the Briton early in the second half to expand Albion's cushion to two. Siena Heights did not go away though, scoring three goals in just over a minute to take its first earn the lead back. Lopez added two more quick goals to even the game at 13 apiece at 21:06. Then, the Saints went on yet another run to make it a three-goal game. Lopez was relentless however, four goals during a Britons scoring frenzy. Joining the scoring party was junior Kierstin Rose who netted her first goal of the year to even the game at 17. Momentum shifted in the Britons' favor as they finished on a 9-1 run with Sheklow earning a trio of scores in crunch time to close the game out, 23-18.
Lopez capped off her night with a new career-high of 11 goals while grabbing six groundballs. The California native's performance earns her the No. two spot in program history for points in a single game, just one shy of tying the record of 12. Sheklow finished with five goals, three groundballs, and three draw controls. Sophomore Destiny Okon and Mullins both netted two goals. Okon was clutch for the Purple and Gold's defense, winning 12 draw controls, scooping up 12 groundballs, and two caused turnovers. Her 12 draw controls place her tied-second in draw controls in a single game in program history. Senior goalie Jenina Villabroza made eight stops against the Saints as she added another win to her career.
"Tonight was a team win – both sides of the field stepped up when they needed to," noted Head Coach Laurie Merian. "Not only was it a great team win, but also Chrystelle set a new school record in goals which was an exciting moment to be apart of."
The Britons peppered the Saints with 41 shots and scored on 7-of-13 free-position shots, including 6-of-9 in the second half.
Get the latest information on the team by following @AlbionWLacrosse on Twitter and Instagram. General athletics news can also be found at GoBrits on Twitter, AlbionAthletics on Instagram and Albion College Athletics on Facebook.
Joe and Julie Serra have given a $5 million leadership gift to launch a fundraising initiative to make two dreams a reality at Albion College. The first is a newly expanded fitness and student activity facility at the site of the current Dow Recreation and Wellness Center. The second is a new or renovated competition facility for the volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball teams that currently call Kresge Gymnasium home.
The College is continuing to raise funds in support of both projects. To learn more, call 517/629-0446 or email advancement@albion.edu