Henry Schneiderman
Sports Editor
This past Saturday, Feb. 24, women’s lacrosse kicked off their season with a bang in the familiar confines of Wooster’s John P. Papp stadium with a match against the Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets. An intense pre-season saw the team battle a harsh winter in practices and undergo a series of rigorous training programs – leading the Scots to develop a vicious thirst for victory as they geared up for the new season.
The game’s beginning yielded an unfavorable start as the Yellow Jackets quickly found their way to the scoring sheet, establishing a 1-0 lead. Despite this early deficit, Wooster seemed unphased as they relentlessly slotted 5 away in the first quarter, leaving the score a strong 5-2 in favor of the Scots. Three of Wooster’s five goals in this first quarter would come from Kenzie Morris ’25, who would go on to expand the lead in the second with a goal at the 13:23 remaining mark that would serve to be the junior’s 100th collegiate score. With this milestone, Morris becomes the second Scot in two years to reach this tally as she follows in the footsteps of alumna Hannah Shaw ’23, who found the 100 mark last season.
Going into the half, Wooster yielded a dominant 10-3 lead that saw the Scots motivated and the Yellow Jackets lose their sting. The home team’s dominance would continue throughout the third, as defensive efforts from the back line denied Baldwin Wallace a single score within the period. Soleil Dubois ’26 and Ashlyn Casey ’25 put forth a dominant defensive performance that saw the duo achieve game highs of four-ground balls and three caused turnovers respectively. Alongside the Scots’ defensive brilliance, Kaitlyn McBride ’25 found her stride in the third as she amassed a continuous three assists that greatly aided the team’s victorious mentality. She also found the back of the net with a strong finish earlier in the match. The third quarter concluded with the Yellow Jackets scrambling as the Fighting Scots led by an astonishing 11 goals.
The match’s final fifteen minutes showcased more of the Scots’ fierce nature as the team put three past Baldwin Wallace’s goalkeeper and rounded out a decisive 17-5 victory. The game exhibited a number of highlight performances from both Wooster and Baldwin Wallace. In addition to Morris’ milestone, Kenzie Smith ’24 led the way for the Scots as she buried a game-high seven goals. Lizzie Hardy ’26 filled the stat sheet as she slotted away two goals and provided one assist alongside attaining 3 ground-balls and a team-high 5 draw controls. In front of the net, Ashley Reynolds ’25 delivered a commanding performance as she amassed 2 saves in forty minutes of playtime. Additionally, Audrey Richardson ’27 made her collegiate debut in the third quarter and quickly collected the first save of her college career. Despite the loss, Baldwin Wallace’s goalkeeper, Caroline Potteiger ’26 would deliver a strong performance that saw her attain a game-high 7 saves.
The Fighting Scots will continue their campaign at home on Saturday, March 2nd, as they seek victory against Marietta College. Congratulations to the team, and good luck on Saturday!
