One game in, one win for the books.
Suffolk University women’s lacrosse faced off against the Dean College Bulldogs Feb. 22, with the Rams winning their first game in program history 12-8 over the Bulldogs.
“The message before the game was about this being our time,” said head coach Carolynn Keal. “Playing for not only ourselves as a program, but what this program is going to be in 10 years. Really representing our school and making a name for ourselves as we debut this season.”
The first ever starters for the team were attackers Zoe Peckham, Julia Dickinson and Ally Colburn, midfielders Charlotte Goodman, Victoria Wood, Lauren Woods and Eliza Bryant, and defenders Kate Carlson, Emily Briand, Gracelyn Laperle and Rose Maher. Charlotte Guziejka was the starting goalie.
After a slow start to the game, the Rams offense picked up in the final three quarters. They scored 11 of their 12 goals in the final three quarters to win their first game convincingly.
“Game plan was to show them what we’re made of. Come out hot, play aggressive defense, show our attackers who can go to the cage and I think we did a really good job playing our game,” said Keal.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 3-0 lead with three goals in the first 6:21 of the game. After a Dean penalty that gave Suffolk a man advantage and a free position shot, Dickinson scored on the free position shot to make it 3-1 on the program’s first goal.
After falling behind 4-1 early in the second, the Rams scored three unanswered goals to tie the game. Bryant, Woods and Dickinson scored to make it a 4-4 game. The teams traded goals through the rest of the second quarter. Natalie Peterson and Haley Gaunt scored for the Bulldogs, while Bryant and Wood scored for the Rams to make it 6-6 at halftime.
The Bulldogs took a 7-6 lead early in the third on a free position shot before Woods, Dickinson and Bryant rattled off three straight goals for the Rams to put them in front 9-7 after three quarters. Dean cut the deficit to one goal in the fourth before Colburn scored two goals and Woods added another to put the finishing touches on the 12-8 win.
Keal was pleased with the performance of the offense after the game, especially the response following a one goal first quarter.
“I think we just needed to warm up,” said Keal. “Once we got ready and knew what we were doing, playing our systems, we just let it happen organically and they found the back of the net.”
Guziejka, a freshman, got the start in goal for the Rams. She allowed eight goals and made 17 saves on 25 total shots, making several key free position saves throughout the game.
“She absolutely crushed it. She saved the day nonstop,” said Keal. “I don’t know how many saves she had, but she was really what anchored our defense today.”
In addition to the first game and the first win, there was another first in program history in the third quarter as Wood, a junior midfielder, fouled out of the game after her second yellow card foul.
The loss of a player in the second half didn’t hinder the Rams. Keal was pleased with how the team played all game, particularly the defense.
“We had a really big emphasis on being hungry for ground balls,” said Keal. “Any time the other team bobbled it, we were gonna be out there pressing hard. I think our defense really delivered on that.”
With game one now in the books, the Rams will look for win number two overall and win one at home when they host SUNY Purchase March 1 at East Boston Memorial Park.
