FRANKLIN, Indiana – The Baldwin Wallace University women's lacrosse won its third game of the season and completed its Indiana trip sweep with an impressive 18-2 non-conference victory against Franklin College inside Faught Stadium.
BW (3-3) was led by sophomore midfielder Kayla Miller (Hudson) as she scored a career-high tying four goals for the second straight game. Sophomore attack Caitlin Wheeler (River Forest, Ill. / Oak Park-River Forest) netted the hat trick with three goals. Senior attack Emma Harding (Akron/Revere), junior All-Ohio Athletic Conference midfielder Katie Kocher (Rocky River), junior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC midfielder Maddie Russell (Lakewood/Rocky River) and freshman attack Hannah Albrechta (Uniontown/Green) all added two goals. Russell also tallied a game-high three assists for a game-high five points.
Franklin (2-2) was led by Presleigh Hobbs as she scored both goals.
In the first half, the Yellow Jackets offense came to life as they scored a season-high 13 goals in a half. The BW defense also shined as it held the Grizzles to scoreless and to just three shots and just one on-goal. The scoreless half was the first of the season and the fifth in the history of the program.
Miller led the Yellow Jacket offense in the first half as she netted the hat trick. Harding, Kocher and Russell each tallied two scores. Albrechta, Wheeler, senior defender Tia Esbenshade (Wooster) and freshman midfielder Hannah Fredriksen (Hamburg, N.Y) each added a goal. The score for Esbenshade was the first of the season and the fifth of her career. Fredriksen's goal was the first of her career.
In the second half, BW kept the scoring attack going as it increased its lead to 16-0 on goals from Wheeler, Albrechta and Miller with Miller's goal coming at the 16:06 mark. Franklin spoiled the shutout when Hobbs found the back of the net at 12:19. The Yellow Jackets answered back with the first goal of the season for sophomore defender Lauryn Wright (Orrville) at the 8:54 mark. The Grizzles got on the board for the final time when Hobbs scored for the second time at 5:30. BW closed out the scoring when Harding tallied her third goal of the contest with 2:44 remaining.
In net for BW, sophomore netminder Taylor Giordanengo (Cranberry Township, Pa. /Seneca Valley) picked up her third victory as she faced eight shots, including five on goal and made three saves and allowed two goals.
The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Tuesday, March 22 when they host Houghton (N.Y.) College on the Tressel Field inside the George Finnie Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Fans can follow all of the action live at http://bit.ly/1RXYs1r.
Photo Credit to Traci Miller