After trailing William and Mary by as many as three goals, James Madison rallied for a 15-11 win over the Tribe in Colonial Athletic Association women’s lacrosse Friday evening at the JMU Lacrosse Complex.
The defending two-time CAA champion Dukes remained unbeaten in league play with a 4-0 record and improved to 8-5 overall with their fourth straight victory. JMU is tied for first in the CAA standings with Towson, which also has a 4-0 record.
W&M dropped to 2-8 overall and 0-4 in the CAA.
On a day in which JMU honored eight seniors prior to the opening draw, the seniors scored nine of the Dukes’ 15 goals.
JMU senior Monica Zabel (Ellicott City, Md./Mt. Hebron) was one of six Dukes to score twice, and she also handed out three assists to tie Megan Riley’s (JMU ’99) career record of 109. Two of her assists came in the final 1:57 of the game.
In a contest that had six ties and three lead changes, JMU did not put the game away until a four-goal run that gave the Dukes a 13-9 lead with 5:16 to play. Senior Ariel Lane (Vero Beach , Fla./Vero Beach) scored off a pass from senior Caitlin McHugh (Westminster, Md./Mercy) at 18:42 to put JMU up 10-9. Then junior Amanda Mathews (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) fed redshirt junior Rebecca McLouth (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) a pass, and McLouth scored the Dukes’ 11th goal with 16:38 to go. Zabel’s free-position shot at 11:28 put JMU ahead 12-9, and sophomore Amy Roguski (Sykesville, Md./Liberty) netted a goal at 5:16 for a 13-9 Dukes’ advantage.
“It was a total team effort, a balanced unit on attack, (and our) defense really trying to persevere. In the second half we did an excellent job of having different people step up and score. I’m just really pleased with everybody’s ability to persevere and come out with a win,” said JMU Head Coach Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe.
“For Monica to tie Megan Riley’s (career assist) record is just unbelievable unselfishness and vision on her part,” said Klaes-Bawcombe.
The game was close early with three ties and two lead changes in the opening 15:41. W&M sophomore Katie Stillwell (Chantilly, Va./Chantilly) scored an unassisted goal at 14:19 to give the Tribe a 4-3 lead, then converted a free-position attempt just 20 seconds later to give her team its third straight score. Sophomore Jenna Dougherty (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) made it four in a row when she netted a goal at 12:57 to push the Tribe’s lead to 6-3.
JMU responded with three unanswered goals in a span of just under five minutes to tie the game at 6-6. Freshman Ali Curwin (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland) scored off a pass from Zabel at 11:40, and redshirt freshman Kaci Starkloff (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) scored an unassisted goal at 8:27. Another unassisted gaol, this time by Lane, brought the Dukes even at 6-6 with 6:43 remaining.
However, W&M used unassisted goals by sophomore Taelor Salmon (Ft. Washington, Md./St. Stephens & St. Agnes) and junior Kyrstin Mackrides (Newtown Square, Pa./Villa Maria) to take an 8-6 lead into intermission.
JMU reclaimed the lead by opening the second half with three straight goals. McHugh scored just 22 seconds in the half, and senior Ashley Kimener (Oakton, Va./Oakton) tallied an unassisted goal with 23:32 on the clock. Senior defender Cally Chakrian (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow) got a rare goal as she raced the length of the field and scored on a shot from about eight yards out to put JMU ahead 9-8.
After a free-position goal by W&M’s Salmon tied the game at 9-9 at 20:31, the Dukes used their four-goal run to pull away to an insurmountable lead.
Zabel, Roguski, Kimener, Lane, Chakrian and McLouth each contributed two goals for JMU. McHugh also had two assists to go along with Zabel’s game-high three.
W&M was led by Mackrides’ three goals. Salmon, Stillwell and Dougherty each scored twice for the Tribe.
Statistical leaders for the Dukes included McHugh with a game-high three ground balls. Kimener and McLough each also grabbed two GBs, and Kimener had two caused turnovers.
Chakrian led JMU with five draw controls, and McHugh controlled four draws..
JMU out-shot W&M 31-19 but held just a 16-12 advantage in draw controls and a 15-11 lead in ground balls.
W&M freshman goalkeeper Lucy Ferguson (Montclair, N.J./Montclair) finished with nine saves, while freshman goalkeeper Schylar Healy (Eldersburg, Md./Liberty) made three stops in just over 56 minutes of play.
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