Box Score Grand Junction, Colorado- Today the Regis Women's Lacrosse team began their 2015 campaign as defending Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champions. Safe to say, the Rangers picked up their sticks right where they left off last year with a 14-8 victory over Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction.
Along with being the defending conference champs, the Rangers entered this season ranked 13th in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches poll. All year long Regis will have to expect the best effort from their opponents, but the highly energetic and talented team is fully prepared to overcome all challengers. Today's victory was just the first step towards another conference crown.
In the first half of the match, senior attacker Erin Todd put the Rangers on the scoreboard first; she scored an unassisted goal at the 23:54 mark. Last year Todd was Regis' leading scorer with 42 goals. Colorado Mesa's Shannon Lynch evened up the scoreboard just three minutes later with a goal of her own, which was assisted by Lydia Furrow. During the remainder of the first half, Regis would score four more times to Mesa's lone one goal. At the break Regis lead 5-2 after Todd scored again along with sophomore attacker Sarah Lugo, sophomore midfielder Anna Takushi, and senior midfielder Emily Behr.
In the second half the Rangers started to pour on the goals that included a 5-2 run in the first thirteen minutes of the half. The Mavericks attempted to keep up with the Rangers scoring four times in the last fifteen minutes of the game, but the offensive diversity from Regis just proved to be too much. Behr scored off of a Jada Bonner, freshman midfielder, assist with 14:22 remaining as Regis held a man advantage. Just two minutes later, sophomore midfielder Erin Steiner put a shot in the back of the net for her first goal of the year. Todd scored again with 10:38 to go in the game and junior midfielder Abby Chimenti scored at 4:57 bringing the Ranger total to 14.
Todd led the Rangers today in scoring with four goals; Steiner and Behr each contributed three. Regis proved to be extremely efficient with their shot selection converting 14 goals from 23 total shots and 19 of those were on frame. Freshman goalkeeper Kenley Harrington earned her first career win between the posts with six saves.
The Regis Rangers next game will be a home contest against Fort Lewis next Friday, February 27th with the first draw set for noon.
