Defense Powers JMU to 14-8 Comeback Win at #14 Virginia Tech

Wednesday, February 13

Blacksburg, Va.

4 p.m.

James Madison University

1-1

Virginia Tech

1-1

James Madison

Virginia Tech

Defense Powers JMU to 14-8 Comeback Win at #14 Virginia Tech

2/13/2019 7:08:00 PM | Lacrosse

Box Score Box Score Highlights

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Fourth-ranked James Madison used a four-goal run to bridge the halves and held No. 14 Virginia Tech to just three second-half goals en route to a 14-8 women's lacrosse victory on Wednesday evening at the Beamer-Lawson Indoor Facility.

The Dukes move to 1-1 on the year, improving to 17-0 all-time against the Hokies, who evened their record to 1-1.

"Not only did we bounce back with the result today, but we had two captains double yellow carded out of the game and we were able to maintain our mental composure," Head Coach Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe said. "We stayed focused on the team. It was a really great step forward for us to develop our mental edge that we've always had at JMU."

Junior attacker Logan Brennan registered a career-high five goals and an assist, while junior attacker Maddie McDaniel scored four goals and won a career-best nine draw controls. Senior attacker Hanna Haven had another three-point game, with a goal and two assists, and sophomore attacker Katie Checkosky added a pair of helpers.

Defensively, JMU held Virginia Tech without a goal for over 11 minutes on three separate occasions. Trailing 5-4, the Dukes scored four in a row, as Brennan scored three of the team's four during the run to take the lead before halftime. Leading 11-8, Tech was held off the scoreboard for the final nine minutes, and JMU used three more scores to ice the game.

"We were really focused in on basics and fundamentals defensively," Klaes-Bawcombe said. "We knew that Tech goes hard and likes to draw fouls, so we really put a lot of emphasis on our footwork and not swinging. The defensive unit really followed the game plan, weathering a lot of storms with man-down scenarios within those 11-minute segments."

Between the pipes, redshirt sophomore Molly Dougherty made 10 saves (.556 sv %) and collected three ground balls. She also limited the Hokies to a 2-of-9 mark on free-position shots.

Senior defender Natalie Fuccillo caused a career-high three turnovers with a pair of ground balls, while junior midfielder Kelsey Reed caused a career-best two. Junior defender Emma Johnson matched her career high with four ground balls.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

JMU out-shot the Hokies 32-25, including 21-18 in shots on goal
The Dukes converted 4-of-8 free-position attempts, while Dougherty and the defense turned away 7-of-9 VT tries from the 8-meter.
JMU had just 11 turnovers, compared to VT's 18. The Dukes also had the edge, 8-2, in caused turnovers.
Tech held a 14-10 advantage in the draws as JMU saw a drastic improvement in the circle from games one to two. JMU also edged the Hokies, 17-16 in ground balls.
Paige Petty led Virginia Tech with three goals, an assist and six draws, while Emma Crooks added six draws. Morgan Berman made seven saves with a pair of ground balls in cage, taking her first loss of the year.

BIG PERFORMANCES FOR LOGAN AND MADDIE
Logan Brennan and Maddie McDaniel paved the way for success in the offensive end. Brennan scored four straight JMU goals between the first and second halves to give JMU a lead it would never concede, and McDaniel tied her career high in goals and won nine draws, beating her previous career high by three.

"Logan is a really dynamic, offensive player," Klaes-Bawcombe said. "She's shifty and able to attack zone gaps, and she showed that today. Maddie is stepping into her own; she'll be someone we rely on heavily, and it was great to see her get that first feeling of dominating and controlling possession."

UP NEXT
JMU closes its three-game road trip to open the season on Sunday, Feb. 17 with a neutral-site matchup against UConn (0-2) in Sparks, Md. Game time is set for noon from Tierney Field at the US Lacrosse Headquarters.