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Kenyon College Athletics

Caroline O'Neil
Mike Munden
9
Winner Kenyon College KENW 2-0
8
John Carroll JCUW 0-1
Winner
Kenyon College KENW
2-0
9
Final
8
John Carroll JCUW
0-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Kenyon College KENW 3 1 2 3 9
John Carroll JCUW 1 1 3 3 8

Game Recap: Women's Lacrosse |

Ladies make statement with win at John Carroll

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Putting a tough opponent on the early-season schedule proved to be a good move for the Kenyon College Ladies lacrosse team, which made an emphatic statement Saturday by defeating the John Carroll University Blue Streaks, 9-8 at snow-covered Don Shula Stadium.

John Carroll (0-1) was a team that went 17-2 last season, won the Ohio Athletic Conference and made an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship tournament.

Kenyon, a team that barely had enough players to push through a pandemic-shortened four-game season in 2021, improved its 2022 record to 2-0.

The victory was powered by the Ladies' defense, but, on the attack, Caroline O'Neil proved to be the difference maker. The junior posted a stat line that included a game-high six points on five goals and an assist.

The contest was close throughout. Kenyon led by three on two different occasions. John Carroll managed to tie things up twice, but never gained the lead. The first of those two ties (6-6) occurred just a minute into the final quarter. Kenyon's Julia Losey answered, but two minutes later, the Blue Streaks knotted the game again.

O'Neil, who started the game on a rampage, took things over down the stretch. With 7:51 remaining, she scored the go-ahead goal. About  90 seconds later, she backed out of a free position, spun to the right side and worked her way free to fire home what would hold up as the game-winning goal.   

Early in the game, the Ladies' offense wasn't dynamic, but led by O'Neil, it launched 10 first-half shots and scored on four of them. O'Neil netted the first three to give Kenyon a 3-0 start. John Carroll tallied its first goal off a free position and closed out the first quarter with Kenyon ahead 3-1.

In the second quarter, John Carroll registered its second goal to pull within one, but three minutes later Ella Murphy scored to carry the Ladies into the break with a 4-2 edge.  

The Kenyon defense smothered John Carroll throughout the contest, but the unit's performance was most noticeable in the first half, a span of time in which the Blue Streaks managed just two goals on three shots. Both goals were scored off free positions and the only other shot taken was blocked by a Kenyon defender. In that same time frame, the Ladies defense also forced six failed John Carroll clearing attempts and racked up 11 caused turnovers.

At the end of the game, the Blue Streaks scored with 1:21 left. They won the ensuing draw and had a chance to tie things up again, but another defensive stand by the Ladies sealed the outcome.

Following up on O'Neil's five goals, the Ladies, who out-shot the Blue Streaks, 22-13, got their other four goals from Kate Lengel, Maddie Garner, Murphy and Losey.
 
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