Scots lacrosse sweeps at invitational

By Mario Sarmento
SPORTS EDITOR

Saint Andrew’s girls lacrosse coach Charity Cox was worried that severe thunderstorms and rain would threaten the inaugural Saint Andrew’s Invitational Saturday. Instead, Cox got blue skies and plenty of sunshine, and the Scots swept both matches to improve to 9-2 this season.

“I think it went great,” Cox said. “I’m just so happy we stayed dry. I just hope that we can have it again.”

In the morning match, the Scots struggled with the wind against Jupiter, but Megan Vanderslice scored four goals and had an assist, and Claudia Devitt added two goals and three assists in a 13-6 win.

“I know it threw off my shots a little bit,” said Katy Teper, who scored two goals in the match. “But you have to learn to deal with the weather because you never know what you’re going to get.”

Katlin Dean scored two goals to lead the Warriors (0-4).

In the last match against St. Thomas Aquinas, the Scots trailed 2-0 before scoring nine unanswered goals to cruise to a 15-5 win.

“I don’t think we were completely ready,” goalkeeper Sydney Kaplan said. “We were standing a little flatfooted at first. But once we were ready to go, it was awesome.”

The Raiders (5-1) scored on their first two possessions, surprising the Scots with their team speed.

But after the shock of those first two goals, Saint Andrew’s settled down and went to work.

Vanderslice took a lead pass and scored to cut the lead to 2-1.

Meredith Donaldson then scored on a man-advantage shot to even the match at 2-2.

Then Teper went to work, gathering a pass from Vanderslice in the middle of the field, faking a pass to her left and scoring before getting knocked down. Teper finished with a team-high four goals and two assists.

“She’s smart when she has the ball,” Cox said.

“Some people take a shot just to take a shot, she’s very selective, and the way that she sees the field.”

Kaplan allowed the Scots to rally by making two point-blank saves when the score was still 2-0, then she stoned St. Thomas on a breakaway with the Scots ahead 9-3. The sophomore finished with 10 saves on the afternoon.

Overall Cox was pleased with her team, which won both matches despite missing Ali Wolff and Dianna Cohen, who were out due to illness.

Vanderslice scored four goals and had two assists for the Scots, and Megan Donaldson added four goals.
In other matches:

• Dwyer defeated Pope John Paul II 11-9. Lauren Murray scored seven goals for the Eagles (2-5), and Morgan Currie added one goal and three assists. Calli Sanchez led the Panthers (2-5) with six goals, and Emily Ojea added two goals.

• St. Thomas defeated St. Edward’s 9-3. Alison Novakovic led the Raiders with three goals and three assists, and Dani Weidmeier made eight saves. MacKenzie Smith, Maggie Cancelosi and Lucy Sexton each scored a goal for St. Edward’s (1-8).

• Pine Crest routed Jupiter 21-6. Tasha Noveletsky led the Panthers (7-3) with five goals. Sterling Champion added four goals and one assist, and Beth Howard and Danielle Epple each scored three goals and had an assist.
Dean scored three goals for Jupiter.

• Cardinal Gibbons topped Dwyer 12-7. Erin Kelley, Nikki Hope and Brooke Kennedy each scored three goals for the Chiefs (5-4). Sanchez led the Panthers with three goals, and Courtney Wilkins and Stacy Kaloski scored two goals each.

• Pine Crest routed St. Edward’s 16-1. Champion scored five goals and had an assist, and Howard scored three goals and had an assist for the Panthers.

• Cardinal Gibbons stopped Pope John Paul II 17-5. Hope scored five goals, Kennedy and Laura Weslowski scored three goals each, and Kristie Leubauer made 14 saves for the Chiefs. Murray scored all five goals for the Eagles.