NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion women’s lacrosse shut down Gardner-Webb’s comeback attempt in a 12-8 win on Wednesday evening. Jules Mills, Molly Heimerl, Annalynn Pompetti, and Ella Bowen each contributed two goals to the victory.
“Happy for this team to get their first home win of the season,” said ODU head coach Theresa Walton. “Quick turnaround to Saturday, full focus forward and we still have good work ahead of us on both sides of the ball to start firing on all cylinders.”
Lydia Laney connected with Heimerl to put the Monarchs on the board first with a goal with just over six minutes to go. A minute later, Maria Snyder scored a goal off a pass from Bowen. Following suit, with four minutes left Pompetti netted one her first of the game off an assist from Snyder. On a roll, Mills scored the Monarchs’ fourth goal in about a three-minute span from a free-position shot. The Runnin’ Bulldogs registered their first goal of the game from Maddie Tredway off a pass from Jules Brown with 57 seconds left to end the first quarter.
To open the second, GWU’s McKensie Gehris tested ODU goalkeeper Brynn Bowen with back-to-back shots which were both denied by the keeper. 15 seconds later, Pompetti connected with Natalie Calandra-Ryan for her second goal of the game. GWU’s goalkeeper Emma Anderson saved a shot from Alex Kulinski, and the Monarchs answered back with a goal from Peyton Marohl with 12:27 on the clock.
GWU responded on the next draw control with Summer Carpenter securing it for the Bulldogs, which made its way to Katie Westbrook for her first of the game with just over 12 minutes to go. Addi Cook netted her first of the game off a pass from Ella Grace Bishop with a little under four minutes left in the quarter. ODU’s Heimerl found the net for the last goal of the half to put the Monarchs up 8-3 going into the break.
Gardner-Webb opened the third quarter with a goal from Jasmyn Morris just under a minute and half in. ODU would then go on a three-goal scoring run in three minutes from Bowen, Eleni Yates, and Mills. Gardner-Webb’s Tredway found the back of the net with six minutes left in the quarter off an assist from Gehris to lead the game into the final quarter.
In the fourth, the Bulldogs weakened the Monarch lead with a series of goals from Cook within seven minutes of action that increased the score to 11-8. Heimerl found the back of the net one more time with four minutes left to end the game 12-8 giving the Monarchs their first win of the season at the L.R. Hill Sports Complex.
“It was great to see how many offensive threats we had tonight and to see so many players got involved for creative and gritty looks to cage. Love that our effort has stayed at a strong clip now, but we have to continue to play in control and play smarter with and for each other,” said Walton.
Old Dominion remains home to host Rider on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 12 p.m. at the L.R. Hill Sports Complex.