GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Junior Steph Colson (Westminster, Md./Manchester Valley) recorded a career-high seven points and posted the best draw control total by a Gettysburg College player in 17 years to lead the second-ranked Bullets past 25th-ranked Haverford 18-6 in Centennial Conference women's lacrosse action at Clark Field Saturday afternoon.
Gettysburg (10-1, 4-1 CC) won 21-of-25 draw controls with Colson finishing one draw control shy of the program record with a career-high 12. It was the best total by a Bullet since Megan Murphy '03 set the standard with 13 twice during the 2001 campaign. Colson also put up a career-high five goals and dished out a pair of assists.
Gettysburg honored its seven seniors –
Ali Gorab (Southport, Conn./Ludlowe),
Katie Landry (Hingham, Mass./Hingham),
Maggie McClain (Wexford, Pa./Sewickley Academy),
Cassie Smith (Phoenix, Md./St. Paul's School for Girls),
Elsie Wagner (Berwyn, Pa./Conestoga),
Maggie Welsh (Rye, N.Y./Holy Child), and
Katie Willis (Baltimore, Md./Notre Dame Prep – prior to the game.
The group of seniors took care of business on Saturday, combining for seven goals and seven assists. McClain and Willis each scored three goals with the latter adding an assist. Welsh dished out four assists and Landry posted a goal and two helpers. Wagner tallied a pair of caused turnovers and a ground ball and Gorab picked up a ground ball. Smith was limited to a few minutes as she continues recovery from an early-season injury.
Colson set the tone by winning the game's opening draw control and taking it to the cage in just 14 seconds. The trend continued as the hosts jumped out to a 7-0 lead on another tally by the junior at 17:58.
Gettysburg's defense held Haverford to a pair of first-half goals and junior goalie
Bailey Pilder (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan) recorded six of her game-high 10 saves. The Bullets put a stamp on the first period with sophomore
Ella Orzechowski (Elkridge, Md./Howard) catching a pass from Landry and firing a shot into the cage right before the horn. Gettysburg took an 11-2 lead into the half.
After failing to grab a draw control in the first half, Haverford (9-3, 3-2 CC) corralled the opening draw of the second period and Allie Gibbons tossed the ball into the net to cut the margin to 11-3. McClain and Willis converted the next two tallies to make it a 10-goal advantage.
After Haverford briefly cut the margin back down to nine, Colson had a hand in the next two scores for Gettysburg, taking it in herself at 19:37 and dishing out the assist to Landry at 17:31. The Bullets would maintain the double-figure lead for the remainder of the contest.
Sophomore
Courtney Patterson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central Regional) tossed in a goal and picked up six draw controls for the hosts.
Molly Lausten scored a pair of goals and dished out an assist for the Fords. Rachel Romens finished with six saves and Noelle Smith posted three ground balls and two caused turnovers.
Gettysburg visits Dickinson College on Wednesday at 5 p.m.