Braedan Shea
@braedan_shea
On paper, a lacrosse goalie only getting one save in a half is not ideal.
But when facing just one shot, that number doesn’t look so bad. Emily McDermott – the starting goalkeeper for the Springfield College women’s lacrosse team – faced that situation on April 1 as the Pride’s defense completely shut down Mount Holyoke Colleges offense, winning 20-1 on Stagg Field.
From the opening face off, Springfield’s defense was extremely physical. It wasn’t afraid to use contact to slow down the Lyons, and it worked perfectly. By the end of the opening quarter, the Pride had yet to allow a single shot. As the half ended, that shot total only increased to one.
This stifling defense has become the new identity of the program. During the team’s four-game winning streak, Springfield has allowed double-digit goals in just one.
“Naturally we are a physical team,” she said. “Whenever we face an opponent – regardless of what their record is – our goal is to go hard with the same intensity. We’ve been focusing on that a lot, and I think they did a good job tonight.”
This game also served as “the first” for a multitude of players. With Springfield leading 11-0 at the conclusion of the first quarter, Thomas relied heavily on the bench.
With new lineups and rotations, Allie Delmonte, Gianna Scialdone, Lauren Landino and Bella Cardaropoli each scored their first goals of the season. First-year attack Holly Raniolo scored her first collegiate goal, and midfielder Liz Neri not only scored her first collegiate goal, but also her first hat-trick.
“It feels good,” Neri said. “It was good to get a lot of minutes.”
The great performances shown by the first-year players is something that Thomas was proud of, and is excited for the future of the program.
“The big thing is we are setting up our first year players for success – and we really focus on,” Thomas said. “We make sure that we are putting them in good situations so we have a good outcome. And I think that’s exactly what we did.”
Getting this win was bigger than just extending the win streak. Before the game began, the Pride honored the 50th year of Title IX. Their sideline was full of signs showing off the history of the women’s lacrosse program, as well as the 37 words that prohibit sex-based discrimination in any school or education program that receives funding from the federal government.
Beside the impact of Title IX, this game also had some extra meaning to Thomas. Her first coaching opportunity after graduating from Springfield in 2014 was as an assistant at Mount Holyoke.
“It’s honestly great,” Thomas said. “I related to the head coach and I told her that I was an assistant coach at Mount Holyoke and I think it’s a great school. I give so much credit to all the student-athletes there. They work hard both in the classroom and on the field, so I’m excited to see what she does since it’s your first year as a coach.”
Springfield looks to continue its success tomorrow against Western Connecticut – another previous stop for Thomas – on Stagg Field at 1 p.m.
Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Athletics