Box Score The University of Redlands women's lacrosse team defeated the Athenas of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges for the first time in the program's 14-year history, registering a 14-13 victory over the 19th-ranked squad in Saturday's Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) showdown.
"This victory was not only for the players of the 2012 season, but it was for all of our alumni who were a part of the growing success at Redlands," stated Head Coach Suzette Soboti, who has been at the helm since the program's inception. "This was a terrific match. Both teams fought their hearts out."
After jumping out to a three-goal lead within the first three minutes of action, Redlands never trailed until the 8:55-mark of the second period when the Athenas broke an 11-all tie with back-to-back netters.
Down by two with 5:10 remaining on the clock, the Bulldogs looked to a trio of competitors to fire off three unanswered scores in the final minutes en route to the historical win. Sophomore midfielder Jacky Craycraft (Trabuco Canyon, CA) initiated the comeback rally with her fourth goal of the game, which came at the 3:03-mark. Less than 30 seconds later, senior midfielder Megan Prickett (Poway, CA) capped off a hat-trick performance to tie it up at 13 apiece. Capitalizing on one final opportunity in the waning seconds, junior attack player Crystal Painter (Lake George, NY) connected on her second free-position shot of the day and her second game-winner of the season, leading to the historical win.
"The late-game rally was a total team effort. From the players on the sideline continuing to give energy to those on the field, to the rock-solid defense, to the 'headsy' attacking decisions; all around the team pulled together," Soboti commented.
"We always talk about being ready for your moment to make the difference every time you step on the field… I couldn't be more proud."
In addition to the triple threat of scorers, sophomore attack player Aimee Dewan (Alamo, CA) provided a multi-goal effort in the Bulldogs' win.
Senior goalkeeper Ana Martinez (Pleasanton, CA) collected the win while providing nine saves between the pipes.
Redlands (2-0, 2-0 SCIAC) looks forward to its home opener on Wed., Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. when it hosts Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in another SCIAC showdown at Farquhar Field.
