Women's lacrosse decimates Duquesne

The University of Richmond women’s lacrosse team achieved another conference win, obliterating Duquesne University 21-6 on Saturday, April 12.  

The Spiders were focused on continuing a long history of dominant wins over the Dukes, this game marking the fifth contest in a row Richmond has won by nine or more points. Duquesne has faced challenges in the A-10 this season, suffering a 2-7 conference record, while Richmond boasts a 7-2 record. 

Richmond walked on the field ready to grab its second staggering victory this week following a 16-5 win over George Washington University  just three days prior. 

It took less than thirty seconds for the Dukes to pick up a yellow card, allowing the Spiders a free position shot and a man-up opportunity. First-year Juliana Stanley made the shot, marking the first of 11 Richmond goals of the quarter. 

There was no stopping the Spiders, as Richmond rained down goal after goal, diminishing any hope Duquesne had of walking away with a win. Within six minutes of playing time, the Spiders netted six goals. There was a slight moment of relief for the Dukes as two minutes ticked by with no scoring. However, Richmond wasn’t finished and scored two more goals back-to-back to tie off the quarter 11-0. 

Scoring slowed ever so slightly in the second quarter, but Richmond maintained a domineering lead. The Spiders opened play with two goals before the Dukes finally managed a long-sought goal midway through. The teams strained against each other for the rest of the time, only allowing one more goal for the Spiders in the half.

Duquesne finally made up some ground in the third quarter, matching Richmond in goals. Unfortunately, the score gap was so vast that it didn’t make a difference. The two teams equalled each other in nearly every section of the game except draw controls, which Richmond outscored the Dukes 5-2. A select few players led as only one goal in the entire quarter was assisted. 

Continuing a game of runs, Duquesne presented a last front, netting two goals to open the final quarter, bringing the score to 17-6. The two added points on the board would be the last as Richmond shut down the Dukes yet again with a 4-0 run to close the game. 

Senior attacker Colleen Quinn led the offensive charge, scoring five goals in her last regular season game at the Robins Stadium. This game marked a huge day for her in the record books as she moved to second in all-time goals in program history. 

“I can't believe all these years we've been celebrating the grades above us,” Quinn said in a postgame press conference. “It was actually our turn to be the seniors, so it's weird, but it was a lot of fun.”

A successful day left a bittersweet feeling as she felt a chapter closing. 

“​​I mean, the seniors, we got a little emotional before the game,” Quinn said. “I just can't believe it's actually here. We've been thinking about it for four years and now it's senior day and the last home game.”

Junior attacker Alexis Morton proved to be a team player on the field, collecting a personal-best six assists and netting one goal. 

The season’s end is visible just over the horizon as only two games lay ahead before the A-10 Championships. The Spiders will take a short break in conference play to face Villanova University on April 19 at noon. 

“They're having a really strong year, so definitely gonna be a challenge for us,” Head Coach Anne Harrington said in a postgame press conference. “They've got a great draw unit.”

The Spiders have only faced the Wildcats once, managing a narrow 14-13 victory in overtime in 2019. 

Contact sports editor Abigail Finney at abigail.finney@richmond.edu