Lacrosse Opens Season with 13-6 Victory Over Longwood
NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion women’s lacrosse coach Theresa Walton said her team absolutely had to get off to a good start this season, and the Monarchs indeed began fast Friday night in their season opener.
By Harry Minium
NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion women’s lacrosse coach Theresa Walton said her team absolutely had to get off to a good start this season, and the Monarchs indeed began fast Friday night in their season opener.
Freshman Sarah Murrell scored four goals, senior Callie Culhane added three and junior goalkeeper Brynn Bowen came up with some key saves as ODU rolled past Longwood, 13-6, at the L.R. Hill Sports Complex.
The Monarchs won just three games last season but have restocked their roster with several key recruits and transfers, with Murrell among the most notable.
Murrell had 284 goals and 80 assists at Perryville High School in Perryville, Maryland.
“Sarah may be our best player,” Walton said. “She doesn’t play like a first year, that’s for sure.
"And you know, she was just dominant on both sides of the ball. It’s incredible to see how much of a role she plays on defense, on offense and in the transition game.”
Murrell said she and all of her teammates expect to win this season.
“Coming in, we knew we had talent here, and then we had transfer talent coming in too,” she said.
“This team feels like no lacrosse team I’ve ever played for before.”
The Monarchs were scorching hot in the early going, as Murrell and Culhane tallied goals in the first three minutes and 17 seconds. Lydia Laney, a transfer from Xavier who had an assist on Culhane’s goal, rolled around a defender and drilled a shot into the net just seven minutes and 14 seconds into the game to make it 3-0.
Kearston Jackson had an unassisted goal for Longwood early in the second period, but then Alex Kulinski, Murrell, Kayleigh Flanegan and Katie Pfeiler each scored for ODU to make it 7-1 heading into halftime.
Longwood dominated the third quarter and narrowed the margin to 8-5 heading into the fourth period.
Murrell then had an unassisted goal and Culhane scored on an assist from Sydney Taylor to make it 10-5 with 11:02 to go.
Longwood scored again to make it 10-6 with 7:45 left. But then Bowen stood tall, picking up two key assists, including a point-blank shot at 5:45 that she knocked down and covered up.
“I told myself that I had to get this one, I couldn’t allow a goal,” she said. “My team needs this, we need the momentum swing, and I just got it.”
Ella Bowen then scored back-to-back goals and Culhane her third goal with 11 seconds left.
Megan Hopfensperger, a sophomore from Brentwood, Tennessee, had three assists and Tayor, a senior from Brentwood, New Hampshire, added two.
Longwood was 8-10 last season and picked to finish sixth this season in the nine-team Big South, and Walton acknowledges tougher tests lie ahead.
“It was so important for us to play well tonight, but also to win this game,” Walton said. “I’ve been talking to the team about how winning is a habit and confidence is something that needs to be practiced.
“So, we just want to be able to confidently practice winning habits right now. To start off the season with this win, it just puts us in a good position to get better and better.”
The Monarchs hit the road for three games before returning home to host Campbell on Saturday, Feb. 22 at noon. ODU is at Wofford on Sunday, Furman on Friday, Feb. 14 and Gardner-Webb on Sunday, Feb. 16.