FAIRFAX, Va. – Rare goals by a pair of senior captains added exclamation points to a record-setting victory for the George Mason women's lacrosse team in its final game of the regular season.
Kelli Beard scored her first collegiate goal and Erin Anderson notched the second of her career as the defenders helped the Patriots cruise to a 16-5 victory over VCU on Saturday at George Mason Stadium. With the victory, Mason ties the single-season school record for most wins with 12 (matching the 2008 squad).
The Patriots finished the regular season with a 12-4 mark and a 7-2 record in Atlantic 10 Conference play. The seven A-10 wins are also the most conference wins in program history – in A-10 and Colonial Athletic Association play. The Patriots finish in a three-way tie for second place for their highest finish ever in the Atlantic 10.
Mason now heads to the Atlantic 10 Women's Lacrosse Championship for the second straight year. The six-team tournament begins on Thursday at Duquesne in Pittsburgh.
Before the game, the team's five seniors – Anderson, Beard, Chloe Chan, Elena Obregon and Gina Purdue – were honored as part of Senior Day festivities. The class spans five seasons as Beard, a fifth-year senior, was a part of the 2012 team that won just three games. The program has gradually improved since then, culminating in back-to-back 10-win seasons the past two years for the first time in program history.
“There is no greater feeling than seeing where we have come from (Beard's) freshman year, my freshman year to where we are now,” Anderson said. “It is night and day and I can't thank the team and the coaches enough.”
Jordan Sdanowich tied a career high with four goals and Alexa McGovern also had four goals – three coming in the first 10 minutes – to lead the Patriots. Junior Taylor Altomare also scored the first two career goals of her career, Chachi Kelehan added two and Hannah Warpinski and Melissa Lobaccaro also scored. Warpinski and Brooke Lorber each had two assists and McGovern, Lobaccaro and Lydia Montanino had one assist apiece.
The Patriots jumped out to an 8-0 lead on VCU (3-14, 1-8), which finished up its first year as a program. Mason led 9-2 by halftime and triggered a 10-goal lead running clock with less than 13 minutes left.
Late in the game, head coach Jessy Morgan moved her senior defenders up to offense in the hopes of them netting a goal in their last home game. Anderson struck first, drawing a foul to set up a free position attempt. The native of West Chester, Pa., native, who has started in all 66 games of her career, ripped a high shot into the right of the net, just under the crossbar for her second career goal.
“I got the eight-meter and Chloe (Chan) told me do what you know,” Anderson said. “I always default to risers for some reason. It is the hardest shot to hit. Thankfully it wasn't too high. It hit just under the crossbar so it was a good day.”
With less than three minutes left, Beard got her chance. After Chan picked up a ground ball off a VCU miss, the Patriots raced up the field and got the ball to Beard. The three-year captain from Catonsville, Md., drove toward the net, faked a pass, maneuvered around a defender and dropped a shot low that skipped to the left of the goalie.
“I kind of blacked out a little bit. I don't remember,” Beard said, laughing. “It was just getting to the goal. I thought I was going to give and go and then I scored. Just put it on the ground – shoot low. That is what they tell us to do.”
