Dukes Dominate UConn for 21-9 Victory, Move to 3-0 on Season

Sunday, February 18

Sparks, Md.

1 p.m.

James Madison University

3-0

UConn

1-2

James Madison

UConn

Dukes Dominate UConn for 21-9 Victory, Move to 3-0 on Season

2/18/2018 3:57:00 PM | Lacrosse

Box Score Box Score Photo Gallery

SPARKS, Md. – Four James Madison players recorded hat tricks and the Dukes used three runs of at least four straight goals en route to a 21-9 victory against UConn in non-conference lacrosse action Sunday afternoon at William G. Tierney Field.

The Dukes, ranked 16th by the coaches and eighth by the media, improved to 3-0 on the year while the Huskies fell to 1-2. JMU also improved to 3-2 all-time against UConn after registering its second straight win in the series at the home of US Lacrosse.

Junior attacker Hanna Haven had a career-high five goals and added two assists to tie her career high of seven points. Senior midfielder Elena Romesburg turned in her second five-goal game of the season and her career, as she added an assist for six points. Senior midfielder Haley Warden tallied five points off three goals and a pair of helpers, and senior attacker Kristen Gaudian added three goals.

The Dukes out-shot UConn 38-21 (30-15 SOG), and also held advantages in draw controls (17-14), caused turnovers (15-8) and ground balls (17-14). Gaudian recorded a career-best five draw controls, sharing team-high honors with Warden. Defensively, sophomore defender Emma Johnson had three caused turnovers and three ground balls and junior defender Caroline Sdanowich also collected three ground balls.

Trailing 2-1 early, JMU reeled off six straight goals in just over nine minutes to grab a 7-2 advantage with 16:25 to go in the half. The Dukes ended the frame with three of four goals to take a 10-4 lead into the locker room. Three straight goals by JMU to open the second half and a 5-0 run later on in the frame put the Dukes up double digits.

UConn was led by Grace Nolan, who had four goals and an assist, and Caitlin Leary, who scored three times.

QUOTING COACH SHELLEY:
"It was a total 60-minute, team effort. We played unselfish offense and our transition game was excellent," Head Coach Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe said. "We really pushed that ball in transition and scored a lot of goals from that. On the defensive end, they were so solid. We limited chances, had great 1-v-1 defense and really made it difficult and challenging for UConn."

PHOTO OF THE GAME

Ellie Harmeyer makes one of her four saves at close range in JMU's 12-goal win vs. UConn.

CAREER FIRSTS
JMU's sizeable lead allowed JMU to go deep into its bench, and a few saw career firsts, in regards to scoring on Sunday. Freshman Katie Checkosky and sophomore Kelsey Reed both scored their first career goals, and sophomore Logan Brennan dished out her first collegiate assist, to go with a career-high two caused turnovers, in the win.

RECORD WATCH
JMU's career top-20 list is an active record book as five seniors continue to move up in JMU history.

Katie Kerrigan – 2 assists, now ranked 11th (55)
Haley Warden – 5 draws, still third (155) but just one shy of tie for second and 10 away from record; one ground ball, now 14th (105)
Elena Romesburg – 2 draws, just four away from being 13th JMU player to reach 100; 1 FP goal, now 13th (23)
Kristen Gaudian – 2 FP goal, now t-11th (25)
Rebecca Tooker – 3 caused turnovers, now 15th (58)

UP NEXT
JMU continues its three-game road trip next Saturday, Feb. 24 when it faces High Point (1-1). Game time is set for a 1 p.m. start and it can be seen live on the Big South Network. JMU is 2-1 against the Panthers all-time, but still seeking its first road win in the series.