VIRGINIA BEACH -- Courtney Williams
took her place in Virginia Wesleyan College women's lacrosse
history Saturday on Foster Field at the Trinder Center.
While it was officially "Senior Day" for the Marlins, celebrating
the accomplishments of Anna Kate Collier (Fairfax,
Va./Robinson), Ari Durall (Fort
Lauderdale, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas), and
Tara Harding (Waterford, N.Y./Clifton Park
Shenendehowa), the Marlins had time to celebrate with
Williams (Leonardtown, Md./Leonardtown)
as well.
Williams (left), a junior, scored a goal a little more than
midway through the first half, and added another to close out the
first half. They were goals that made it an 11-1 lead for
VWC, which went on to score a 15-3 Old Dominion Athletic Conference
victory over the Vixens of Sweet Briar College.
More importantly, Williams' two goals increased her career total
to 100...marking her as only the eight woman in VWC program history
to score 100+ goals in a career. She has now scored at least
one goal in six consecutive games for the Marlins, who improved to
7-6 overall and to 4-2 in the league, the latter the best ODAC mark
for VWC since 2008.
It was a day of extending scoring streaks for VWC however, as
Harding finished with four goals, pushing her current streak to 10
consecutive game with two or more goals. Junior
Natalie Belva (Colorado Springs,
Colo./Liberty) added three goals, moving her streak
to five straight games with three or more goals, and sophomore
Nikki Salyers (Severna Park, Md./Severna
Park) scored one goal, to extend her scoring ways to
nine consecutive games. Junior Courtney Shelton
(Prince Frederick, Md./Huntingtown) scored three
goals, matching her season high.
VWC scored the first four goals of the game, but Sweet Briar
(3-6-1, 1-3) emerged with a goal at the 19:53 mark of the first
half on a shot from Sam Schwartz (Pittsburgh, Pa./Peters
Township). Virginia Wesleyan reeled off the next eight goals
to open up a 12-1 lead, before SBC found the net again, this time
on a free position shot from Sarah Winstead (Apex, N.C./Middle
Creek).
That made it a 12-2 game and that as close as it would get at
VWC outscored the Vixens 3-1 in the final 15 minutes.
Virginia Wesleyan held the advantages in all statistical
categories, including 41-10 in shots, 39-14 in ground balls, and
16-4 in draw controls. Shelton and Harding picked up seven
grounders each for the Marlins, and Williams and Harding led the
effort in draws with five and four, respectively.
Michelle Mace (Dumfries, Va./Woodbridge Forest
Park) and Brittany MacKnew (Abingdon,
Md./Bel Air) each protected VWC's goal for a
half. Mace recorded one save, MacKnew two. Megan Link
(Great Falls, Va./Langley) produced 18 saves for the Vixens.
VWC closes its 2011 regular season schedule with three
consecutive road games, starting on Saturday, Apr. 16, when the
Marlins play at Bridgewater College at 2 p.m.
--AMDG--
