12
WWW.GUlLFORDIAN.COM
SPORTS
Women's lacrosse comeback falls short
By Liz Farquhar
Staff Writer
"Go for the red Jen!" a fan
screamed to senior Jennifer
Abelin during April 4's wom
en's lacrosse match against
Randolph-Macon.
The Old Dominion Athletic
Conference (ODAC) contest at
Armfield Athletic Center was
a site to behold, as the Quakers
played to a 12-10 loss. During
the course of the game, six yel
low cards were given out, five
to Guilford players.
"There were definitely more
cards than usual," said sopho
more defender Meaghan Dill
while looking back on the
game.
Abelin received two of
Guilford's five cards, due to
her determination to win.
"I'm always going to get
(cards), that's just how I play,"
Abelin said with a laugh.
Abelin's on-field play in the
past four years was recognized
before the match in the yearly
"Senior Day" celebration.
During Abelin's Guilford
career she has started in 26
wins, accumulated 68 points,
caused 88 turnovers (Guilford
record) and recovered 204
ground balls (second all-time).
As the team's only senior,
Abelin knows of the rivalry
with Macon best - the Yellow
Jackets eliminated the Quakers
from the ODAC tournament
twice in the past three years.
Last season, the Yellow
Jackets knocked the Quakers
out of the quarterfinals by
one goal. According to head
coach Matthew Grosso, the
women have been waiting for
revenge.
"Randolph Macon has
become one of our biggest
rivals," Grosso said. "They
definitely bring out the best in
our team."
Despite playing hard, the
women were unsatisfied with
the outcome of the game.
"It was a heartbreaker,"
junior Carrie Ernst said. "We
had some good transitions; I
don't know what happened,
or why we lost this game to
be honest."
The Saturday match looked
promising for the Quakers, as
they struck first off Abelin's
score in the first 30 seconds
of the game. The Yellow
Jackets were quick to respond,
as Macon senior Morgan
Hutchinson and sophomore
Elyse Cooper found the lower
pockets of the goal, which gave
Macon the lead. Moments
later, Ernst tied the score with
a close-range shot.
Throughout most of the
first half the Quakers and
Yellow Jackets continuously
exchanged possessions until
a commotion caused an ankle
injury to Macon player Emily
Kent.
After hobbling off the field
to applause from fans, Kent
sat out and watched Guilford
take a 4-3 lead from another
Ernst goal.
Macon didn't stay down for
long, and scored four goals in
as many minutes, each flying
swiftly into the net, taking the
lead at 8-4. After another goal
exchange, the scoreboard read
"9-5" at halftime.
With Guilford trailing, the
huddle was tight, and Grosso
was heated in a discussion
with the team. First-year men's
lacrosse player and fan Efrem
Evans believed that Guilford
could turn the game in their
favor in the second half.
"They've made a couple
mistakes, but they can rebound
from that easily," Evans said.
"It's a close game."
While getting into posi
tion for second-half's draw
(faceoff), the Quakers looked
ready to win. But following
the trend of the first half, foul
ing was common.
"I tell the kids to play
hard, play aggressive, but
you can't keep playing reck
lessly," Grosso said. "They've
got cornpetitive girls, we have
competitive girls; (fouling)
happens."
As the scoreboard flashed
"Defense," Macon pushed
past the Quaker backfield and
bounced the ball past junior
goalkeeper Alyzza Callahan
twice, now leading by five.
Not ready to throw in the
towel, Abelin shot a frozen
rope into the upper-left corner
of the goal. After three quick
goals by Summer Frazier,
sophomore Hannah Merrell,
and Merrett, the Quakers were
in striking distance - down by
two goals with four minutes
remaining.
"Get ready Jackets," Macon
fans chanted from the side
line.
In the last two minutes of
the game both Abelin and
sophomore Kaitlin Feeney
received yellow cards and
were forced out of play for the
remainder of the game. The
Quakers fought to the end,
but the buzzer sounded too
soo, and the Yellow Jackets
erupted in screams as the
lady-Quakers slinked back to
the bench.
"I think the game went
well," Randolph-Macon coach
Dan Kanach said. "It is always
a very tight competition."
The rivalry may have got
ten the best of the Quakers
this season, but they have
three conference games left,
and Grosso believes the team
can do well in the ODAC.
"They're a tough group of
girls. I want to see them win
this year."
Compiled by Patrick Childs
3:05
Points by Tyler Hansbrough in University of
North Carolina’s NCAA basketball champi
onship game. The Tar Heels won by 17 over
Michigan State, and Hansbrough's college
basketball legacy is complete.
Left in men’s lacrosse conference game last
Saturday before freshman Chris Ashcraft
scored the game-winning goal. The win over
Virginia Wesleyan marked the Quakers first
win in the ODAC since 2005.
351
Hits, 240 runs, .360 batting average, 208
runs batted in. This is the evidence to
Guilford baseball’s offensive explosion this
year. These stats are the conference’s best.
Game winning streak by the Lynchburg
Hornets, which was snapped by Guilford
College’s softball team last Sunday when
the Quakers split a double-header 3-8,5-4.
Freshman Jessica Burcham struck out seven
hornets in seven innings.
Freshman Kathryn Carella (18) and junior Carrie Ernst (23) look to make a succesful
clear from the defense on April 4.
Just M
pays the first
months rent!
(plus a free lod^
V SecuCairSdf Stonge
WWW. securcare. com
3730 W Wendover Ave
Greensboro, NC 27407
336-855-0428
Please bring in this ad to take advantage of our offer.