Spiders’ Comeback Overwhelms GWU

A dominant second half powered the University of Richmond women’s lacrosse team to a 16-7 win over the George Washington University on April 13. 

The Revolutionaries arrived ready to play up to the conference-leading Spiders’ level, firing the first shot of the match off the post before defense on both sides clamped down. 

Neither side was able to manage sustained pressure in the attacking zone until sophomore attacker Juliana Stanley opened the scoring seven minutes into the quarter. This seemed to break the stingy defense on both sides, and suddenly it was the Revolutionaries taking a 2-1 advantage into the second quarter despite being outshot 6-3. 

The second quarter opened with offense on both sides having found their footing. Stanley quickly netted her second goal of the game to tie the contest, though the Revolutionaries answered just two minutes later. 

UR rifled several shots on frame following GWU’s go-ahead goal, but the Revolutionaries’ goalie turned aside all but one effort. The final moments of the half belonged to the Revolutionaries, as they restored their lead and threatened more; a crucial free-position save from first-year goalie Abby Francioli ensured the score remained 4-3.

If the Spiders were shaken by their first halftime deficit of the season against an unranked team, it certainly did not show. GWU notched a quick goal out of halftime, threatening to pull away, though the Spiders roared back. 

Sophomore attacker Alexis Morton and junior attacker Colleen Quinn each punched in free-position goals to tie the game at five, while sophomore attacker Charlotte Edwards’ solo effort fully erased the Spiders’ 5-3 deficit in a span of just two minutes. UR’s offense continued to erupt as Morton tallied twice more along with redshirt junior midfielder Maggie Jordan en route to a six-goal third period. 

“We’re so lucky to have [Quinn] for another season, she just creates so much on offense,” UR Head Coach Anne Harrington said in a postgame press conference of Quinn, whose game-tying goal marked 200 career points. 

Quinn hit a pair of fourth quarter goals to round out a hat trick for the day as the Spiders surged into the final period of play. UR’s draw controls exploded for an 8-2 advantage, creating opportunities that translated to 11 fourth-quarter shots. One of two GWU goals in the final frame put an end to an almost 17-minute scoring drought and an 8-0 Spider scoring run, although the deficit continued to grow with a 7-2 goal differential. 

“It was just a matter of us putting it away and just really working the ball,” Morton said in a postgame press conference. “Second half we did really well, and all our shots were falling. I think the score difference could have been even bigger if we would have just done that in the first half.” 

Morton’s eight-point performance in part assured UR’s win, which maintained a perfect 8-0 Atlantic 10 record for the Spiders.

The Spiders will next play away at crosstown rival Virginia Commonwealth University at 3 p.m. on April 20.

Contact sports writer Scott Valentine at scott.valentine@richmond.edu.