March 28 , 2007

As the Falcon flies
Gatlin scores gamewinner for seventh win

WOOSTER, Ohio - Despite a three goal blitz by the College of Wooster Fighting Scots with less than 13 minutes left in the game, Notre Dame was able to hold onto a 9-8 win to improve their record to seven wins and two losses in the 2007 campaign.

While neither team was able to get a shot past the goalie in the first nine minutes of the play, the Falcons broke the stalemate at the 21:14 minute mark when Stacey Gowe (Fr/Medina, OH) plowed through the defense to start a ten-minute Royal & Gold scoring binge. Gowe then wasted little time off the next draw where she grabbed a pass from Gena McPherson (Fr/Brampton, ON) and snuck one more past Wooster’s Jamie Dannenberg to put the Falcons up 2-0.

The Falcons then rattled off three more goals from McPherson, Jenna Schuerman (So/Savage, MN) and Nikki Gatlin (Jr/Oakwood, OH) to build their lead to five (5-0) before Wooster’s Becca Worthington put Wooster on the board with 9:53 left in the half. The Fighting Scots stood true to their name as they found the back of the net two more times before halftime to bring the score to 6-3 heading into intermission.

The second half proved to be an uphill battle for NDC being outscored, 5-3, but with patience and intensity, they were able to hold onto to the lead in the end. The Falcons’ biggest scare came when Emily Baab maneuvered past the NDC defense three times in six minutes to eventually tie the game at, 8-8, with only five minutes remaining in the game.

After 55 minutes of inconsistent play, the Falcons were able to regroup and set themselves up for what would be the most important shot of the game. Off the draw following Baab’s goal, the Falcons came up golden when Gatlin was able to convert a Fighting Scot defensive foul into the game-winning goal for NDC.

The last five minutes of the game proved to be a battle for both teams as Kylie Flett (Jr/Adelaide, AUS) turned away two point blank shots to help the Falcons maintain possession as time expired. Flett finished with 16 saves.

Gowe finished the day with hat trick while McPherson also finished with three points from two goals and one helper. Gatlin’s game saving day also included two goals. Sarah Hutchison (Fr/Powell, OH) and Jenna Schuerman rounded out the scoring with one goal apiece.

NDC travels to their second away game in a row when they face St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania on Sunday, Apr. 1. The game is slated to begin at 1:00pm.

Notes From The Nest…

Seven deadly wins: The win over the College of Wooster marks an unprecedented seventh win in a row for NDC. Not only is the win streak a new program record, it also marks the most amount of wins since the 2004 inception of the women’s lacrosse team.

North Coast nemesis: The Falcons are currently 4-0 against teams from the NCAA Division III North Coast Athletic Conference. The Falcons defeated Oberlin College, Wittenberg University, Denison University and the College of Wooster. NDC has yet to play NCAC members Ohio Wesleyan, Allegheny and Kenyon Colleges.

You came, Utah, you conquered: After starting the first eight games behind the restraining line, Head Coach Candace Taglianetti moved Staci “Utah” Myrup (Fr/Murray, UT) to midfield to incorporate her into the draw. Since the move, Myrup nabbed four of the nine Falcon draw controls against the Fighting Scots. Myrup also led the team in caused turnovers against Wooster including one interception and two blocks.

Jonesing for the goal: Emily Jones (Fr/Kent, OH) has made a huge statement at both goals on the field. Not only is she one of the anchors of the stingy NDC defense that has allowed only 7.11 goals per game but she’s also been a mainstay in the midfield transition. She’s playing a bigger role not only for the iron-clad defense but also being infused into a high-powered offense that doles out 32.4 shots per game.

You Jo, girl! Jo Bauswein (So/Chagrin Falls, OH) was also a force to be reckoned with in the stifling defense against Wooster. She also had four caused turnovers from four stick checks followed by six ground balls which she stripped from the opponent. Bauswein leads the team with 40 groundballs averaging 4.44 per game.