March 7, 2009
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy women's lacrosse team (3-1, 1-0) roared out of the gate with six unanswered goals as part of a game-opening 11-1 run and cruised past Lafayette (0-6, 0-1), 19-4, in the Patriot League opener for both teams on Saturday afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
With the win, the Midshipmen women extend the nation's second-longest home winning streak to 14 games. Navy has outscored its opposition by 10.28 goals per contest (+144) during this stretch.
"This was an important win for us," said Navy head coach Cindy Timchal, who collected her 352nd career victory- the most by any lacrosse coach (men or women, all divisions) in NCAA history. "We bounced back after a tough loss last weekend and really dictated the tempo right from the get-go. It was a great way to kick off the 2009 conference season."
Junior Erin Rawlick (Forest Hill, Md.) led all scorers on the afternoon with six points on a goal and a career-high tying five assists. Sophomore Katrina Nietsch (New Canaan, Conn.) notched her 10th career hat trick as part of a five-point effort (3 g, 2 a), while Annapolis natives Mary Ruttum and Caitlin Mandrin Hill both contributed four points apiece to lead the Mids.
Nietsch, who now has a team-leading 11 goals this season, opened the scoring with a pair of markers in the contest's first 5:21.
"Katrina got things going for us," said Timchal. "She came out with a ton of energy and really set the tone. Her speed definitely gave Lafayette trouble all afternoon."
Thanks to a pair of scores by Ruttum, the Mids extended their lead to 5-0, before Lafayette had managed to record its first shot on goal. Trailing 6-0, the visiting Leopards broke onto the scoreboard at the 10:30 mark, but Navy responded with a 5-0 spurt over the next seven minutes to take a commanding double-digit lead at 11-1. A late score from Lafayette made it an 11-2 game at the break.
After a dominating first 30 minutes, three Mids (Nietsch, Mandrin Hill and Ruttum) all had completed hat tricks and a total of five different players had found the back of the cage. The Mids maintained the possession during a majority of the opening period, winning the contest's first five draws and ending the half with a 10-4 advantage in the category.
Lafayette would score in the opening minute of the second half, but Navy went on to produce the game's next seven tallies while holding the Leopards at bay for a 25-plus minute scoreless stretch. The two teams traded late goals inside the closing minutes to create the final margin.
Sophomore Lexi Dauernheim (Monterey, Calif.) added three goals (all in the second half), while freshmen Kierstin King (Upperco, Md.) and Madison Bell (Baltimore, Md.) both continued their impressive starts to the spring with multi-point efforts.
King, who now leads all conference rookies with 13 points (8 g, 5 a), finished with a goal, two assists and a career-high six ground balls, while Bell chipped in with a pair of tallies for her third multi-goal effort in four career games.
After allowing 14 goals last weekend in a loss at Longwood, Navy issued a strong all-around defensive effort in the win. The Mids set the tone early, causing nine turnovers in the first half (10 in the game) and limiting the Leopards to just nine shots on goal.
"I was proud of the way we defended today," added Timchal. "We shifted our focus a bit in what we're doing in the back. I thought the girls came out poised, determined and with the necessary intensity it takes to succeed. Their performance was a real testament to the hard work they put in this week at practice."
On the afternoon, Navy outshot the visitors, 31-14, and had 27 ground balls to Lafayette's 18. The Mids also won 17-of-25 draw controls, while converting 4-of-7 attempts on eight-meters and clearing successfully on 13-of-14 tries.
Freshman goalie Elaina Ponchione (Silver Spring, Md.) played well in earning her third collegiate victory, making five saves and collecting four ground balls.
Next up, Navy begins a three-game, eight day road stretch on Friday, March 13 at Canisius.
Notes: The Mids improved to 2-0 in all-time league openers - a year ago, Navy topped then-reigning Patriot League champion Holy Cross, 12-11 ...the win pulled Timchal ahead of current William Smith College's Pat Genovese for the most career wins in NCAA lacrosse history ... Rawlick also handed five assists in the team's season-opening win over Presbyterian ... she has now scored at least one goal in 21 consecutive games to begin her career ... Nietsch, meanwhile, has scored a goal in each of the last 13 games ... eight different Mids have combined to produce 12 hat tricks this season ... with three goals and an assist to her credit, Mandrin Hill now has 14 points (9 g, 5 a) through four games - already exceeding her freshman year point total (12).
