By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- During their first two seasons, the Willamette University women's lacrosse players put together several high-scoring games and several high-scoring individual performances. Willamette field players have earned a significant number of draw controls, ground balls, and forced turnovers, while goalkeepers have registered many saves. The successful efforts all over the field have been a key highlight of the relatively new team.
"We are immensely proud of our team and the incredible strides they have made from our first year until now," Willamette Head Coach Sarah Lautenbach said. "There have been a lot of individual improvements, but more importantly, how we play as a collective unit has improved. Contributing to the system as a whole is what we strive for and what defines success on our team. Now more than ever, we want an opportunity to showcase our growth as a program."
Gaining control of the ball is perhaps the most important skill in lacrosse. In 2019, Emma Canchola (Jr., D, Oregon City, OR/Oregon City HS) led the way with 47 draw controls and 66 ground ball. Anabel Ohsman (Sr., ATT/MID, Snohomish, WA/Glacier Peak HS) added 38 draw controls and 26 ground balls, while Miranda Piros (Jr., ATT/MID, Newberg, OR/Newberg HS) contributed 33 draw controls and Emmett Blaney (D, '20) added 36 ground balls. Kara Phillips (GK, '19) provided 28 ground balls.
In 2020, Catie Kawamura (So., MID, San Diego, CA/San Diego International Studies) gained 10 draw controls to lead the team. Victoria Glidden (Jr., M/D, Dover, NH/Phillips Exeter Academy) latched onto a team-high 11 ground balls.
Willamette's single game high for draw controls was set by Canchola with 11 versus the University of Dallas on March 24, 2019. Canchola also set the school record for ground balls in a game when she achieved 10 against Pacific on March 30, 2019. The team set school records with a total of 20 draw controls in the game versus Dallas and with 25 ground balls against Pacific on March 8, 2020. WU has earned 20 or more ground balls six times.
Canchola and Blaney share the school single game record for caused turnovers. Canchola forced six turnovers against Pacific on March 30, 2019. Blaney caused opponents to lose the ball six times against Whitworth University on April 27, 2019. The Willamette team record for caused turnovers (16) was set in the same two games. Cancholas set a WU season record with 33 caused turnoves in 2019.
The Bearcats scored 133 goals in 16 games in 2019 and then added 31 goals in three games in 2020 before the season was shortened by COVID-19. Willamette has earned at least 13 goals in eight games, including seven games with 15 or more goals. The Bearcats set a school record for single-game goal scoring in an 18-14 victory over the University of Dallas in 2019.
Individual Willamette players have scored five or more goals 10 times. Ohsman registered a school record 9 goals in the high-scoring win at the University of Dallas. Piros hit the nets 7 times against Pacific University in a Northwest Conference home game on March 30, 2019. One month later, Ohsman achieved 7 goals at Pacific on April 20.
Among those providing five goals in a game was Kawamura. She registered five goals in the first half against the University of Puget Sound during the 2020 season.
Willamette's team record of 18 goals is closely followed by 17 goals versus Pacific on March 30, 2019. Willamette scored 16 goals three times during its first season -- in wins over Johnson & Wales University (Colo.), Puget Sound, and Pacific. The goal-scoring outburst against Johnson & Wales led a 16-5 win in the Bearcats' first-ever intercollegiate game which was played at Sparks Field on Feb. 24, 2019.
The Bearcats scored 15 goals in both of their wins in 2020, as the team finished 2-1 overall and 2-0 in the NWC. Willamette defeated Puget Sound, 15-7, on March 7, and downed Pacific, 15-6, on March 8.
Top career goal scorers during the team's first 19 games are Oshman with 47 goals (46 in 2019) and Piros with 46 goals (37 in 2019). Ohsman leads the Bearcats with 9 career assists, while Alayna Newland (Sr., ATT, Everett, WA/Archbishop Murphy HS) follows with 8 assists (all in 2019).
In goal, Kara Phillips ('19) accumulated 138 saves in 2019 while starting all 16 games. Shelby Sawyer (So., GK, Marysville, WA/Bio Med Academy) and Katie Hill (So., GK, Belmont, CA/Carlmont HS) split time in goal as first-year players in 2020. Sawyer registered 17 saves and a solid 7.87 goals against average. Hill was credited with 16 saves. The Willamette record for saves in a game was set by Phillips with 16 against Linfield College on March 31, 2019. Phillips added 14 saves against Puget Sound on April 10, 2019.
The efforts of the goalies, along with hard work by the team's defenders, midfielders and attackers, have resulted in the Bearcats improving throughout their first two seasons. The players have built the team into a competitive squad concentrating on success in all aspects of the game.
"Stats are great, because when you play well it can be tracked and reflected throughout the statistics, but there is always an untold story behind them (along with) plays that don't have a place in a stat book," Lautenbach commented. "We try to encourage the team to see beyond the statistics and see each play and decision and ask how it has value or may have led to a positive outcome."
