GEORGETOWN, TEXAS - The Southwestern women's lacrosse team opened up their season by playing back-to-back games on Friday and Sunday against the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire BluGolds. Head Coach Avery Murphy and assistant coach Kendall Bannan earned their first victories as a coaching staff this weekend, opening up the season 2-0.
On a cold and windy Friday night in Georgetown, the Pirates didn't take long to get warmed up. After a 1-1 first quarter, Southwestern put up five goals in the second, thanks to four goals from senior midfielder DeAnna Hames. Junior attacker Liana Collins was the lone Pirate to score in the third quarter, and the BluGolds cut the lead to 4-7 at the end of the third quarter.
Hames and Collins did their part in the fourth quarter, each scoring goals and putting the Pirate up 9-4 with seven minutes left of the game. The Pirate defense did its part to help secure the win, only allowing one goal in the final quarter. Brynne Hardway, the senior attacker turned goaltender, had an excellent first outing with nine saves on fourteen shots on goal on the way to a 9-5 Pirate victory.
A much mild-temperature day on Sunday gave the Pirates the energy to put more goals in the back of the net. Coming off her seven-point night on Friday, Hames opened up the game with three straight goals in the first quarter, two off of free position shots. A host of Pirates scored in the second quarter, and Southwestern went into halftime with a comfortable 8-4 lead.
Another quarter with five goals put Southwestern in a position to cruise to the finish, leading 13-4 at the start of the fourth quarter. Junior Raquel Kurth had four goals in the contest, and senior midfielder Emma Pertuit led the team in points, scoring two goals and dishing out four assists while also leading the team with four caused turnovers. Hardway led the Pirates to allow just six goals with eleven saves facing seventeen shots on goal bringing the Pirates to a 15-6 victory over the BluGolds.
Women's Lacrosse heads to the pacific northwest next week to take on the Whitworth Pirates on Friday, February 17th, at 4:00 PM CST and the Whitman College Blues on Saturday, February 18th, at 1:00 PM CST.