SWEET BRIAR, Va. – The Sweet Briar College lacrosse team (0-7, 0-1 ODAC) dropped a 23–0 decision to the Muskingum University Fighting Muskies (5-3, 0-0 OAC) on Friday afternoon at Meyer Field, but the Vixens saw several defensive and draw-control standouts emerge over the course of four quarters.
Muskingum opened the scoring just one second into the game and built a 9–0 lead by the end of the first, but sophomore goalkeeper
Geneva Seitz (Havre de Grace, Md.) set the tone for Sweet Briar's effort between the pipes with four saves in the opening period, repeatedly turning away point-blank chances to keep the Vixens battling. Late in the quarter, first-year
Somerlin Ford (Clarksburg, Md.) generated Sweet Briar's first shot on a free-position attempt, forcing a stop from the Muskingum goalie as the Vixens began to find their footing in the offensive end.
In the second quarter, Sweet Briar settled in defensively despite Muskingum extending its advantage to 13–0 by halftime. Seitz turned aside five more shots in the frame to reach nine saves at the break, while defenders first-years like
Natalie Calderon-Lemus (Manassas, Va.) and
Caitlin Weaver (Wellford, S.C.) disrupted Muskingum possessions with caused turnovers and ground-ball pickups. Offensively, sophomore Kayla Nuhl (Hayward, Calif.) and Weaver each put shots toward the cage, and the Vixens improved their draw control numbers with first-year
Lyndsay Davis (Mocksville, N.C.) starting to assert herself in the circle.
The third quarter showcased Sweet Briar's resilience on the draw and in the ride, even as Muskingum pushed the margin to 17–0 heading to the fourth. Davis continued to control the circle, helping Sweet Briar to four draw controls in the period, while Weaver and sophomore
Elise Palazzo (Allentown, Pa.) added key possessions for the Vixens. Seitz added to her defensive stat line with more ground balls and continued work in the clearing game, and the Vixens forced multiple Muskingum turnovers.
In the final quarter, Sweet Briar turned in its most active stretch on the draws, winning five and finishing with a 14–11 edge in that category for the game. Davis closed the afternoon with a team-best eight draw controls, frequently giving the Vixens first touch on the ball in the fourth. Weaver created another offensive opportunity on a free-position shot that was saved, while Palazzo followed with a shot on goal, and the defense in front of Seitz continued to battle as the senior goalkeeper added two more saves to finish with 12 on the day.
Highlights
- Seitz totaled 12 saves in goal while also picking up seven ground balls.
- Both Davis and Weaver led the team in shots.
What's Next
The Vixens will host William Peace on March 18th.
Visit the online home of Sweet Briar Athletics, vixenathletics.com, to stay up-to-date on all Vixens sports and access live video coverage from the Vixen Sports Network. Click here to sign up for email blasts from Vixen Athletics.
To give to Sweet Briar Athletics, please fill out the form here.
You can also give the Sweet Briar Vixens a like on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Threads and X (formerly Twitter).
