The DU women’s lacrosse team hosted two visiting opponents, the University of California, Berkeley (Cal) and Saint Mary’s College of California on April 15 and 16, respectively. The Pioneers would emerge victorious in both contests, improving their overall record to 7-8.
In the weekend’s first game, DU was dominant in its victory, preventing Cal from scoring a single goal in the 16-0 win. It was Denver’s first shutout since April 11, 2006 when Denver defeated Regis University.
The Pioneers came out firing, tallying a goal just 0:22 into the game after senior captain Christa Reese (Lutherville, Maryland) fired a shot past the goalie. Reese would end the day with three goals and an assist.
It was an extremely balanced attack for DU, as the team scored eight goals in each half. They also held the advantage in draw controls and ground balls at 12-6 and 21-17, respectively.
After scoring one goal in the first half, freshman Elizabeth Behrins (Basking Ridge, New Jersey) tallied two goals in the second half, completing her second career hat trick. She also added an assist on the day.
The team also received an outstanding effort from redshirt sophomore Nicole Martindale (Brooklin, Ontario), who netted two goals and chalked up two assists.
The goaltender responsible for the shutout was junior Maddy Stevenson (Bainbridge Island, Washington), who made four saves. Her career-high for saves is 12, set against the University of Southern California (USC) on May 1, 2015.
Denver’s next opponent, Saint Mary’s, proved to be a stiffer challenge but was still defeated 15-5 on a snowy afternoon.
It was senior day, the last home game of the season for the Pioneers. Reese once again was dominant offensively, tying a career-high in goals with five. Not to be outdone, Martindale racked up six goals of her own, a personal career-high.
Leading 13-1 late in the game, Denver allowed four goals in a row with 6:22 left. The defense locked down the opposition and would shut out Saint Mary’s from that point on. Senior goalkeeper Bailey Dunning (Eden Prairie, Minnesota) made six saves on the day.
The team’s final regular season game will be played on the road, at the University of Oregon on April 22.
