There were two laudable firsts for the women’s lacrosse team Wednesday.
Freshman Olivia Boudreau paced the Colonials with a four goal game over crosstown rival George Mason, pushing GW to a 10-6 win for its first-ever home victory over the Patriots. And it was Boudreau’s first career goals as a Colonial.
The cold and windy matinee on the Mount Vernon Campus Wednesday didn’t stop GW from maintaining heavy pressure on defense and intensity on offense for a full 60 minutes of play.
“I think everyone was working well together. We were moving the ball nice and fast and I just happened to be there. We did a good job as a team,” Boudreau said.
Her fourth goal, unassisted, and the final tally GW would score, came with just under eight minutes to play. A loud cheer erupted from the bench and a celebration started immediately on the field.
The Colonials maintained that sort of energy until the final buzzer, especially with tight defense that allowed only one more George Mason goal to be surrendered surrendered in the rest of play.
“Really anyone we put out on the field has the capability of having a breakout game. That’s the beauty of this team, everyone’s a threat,” head coach Tara Hannaford said.
Boudreau wasn’t the only player to aid GW in its winning effort. The upperclassmen were key in the win, including senior co-captain Jess Hicks, who saved six shots in goal, playing the entire game en route to their victory.
“Half of it is [my defenders] and the rest of it is just feeling good, seeing the ball well, and things were just clicking well today. And, just had to beat George Mason. There was no way we could let up,” Hicks said.
The win was a noteworthy one for the seniors. GW had fallen in its first 10 contests against GMU but took home its first victory against the Patriots last year, on the road. This was its first home win in the series, and its second win against the District-rival in two years.
Senior Nicole Lacey, another Colonial captain, was also instrumental in aiding her her team’s performance as the only other member of GW other than Boudreau to record multiple goals with two. She also won four draw-controls, most for the Colonials.
That helped GW control the pace and direction of the game, keeping George Mason from establishing a clear rhythm against the Colonials.
“I was really proud of the team because we were intense for the entire game, which is something we haven’t done in previous games. Everyone fought really hard for the full 60 minutes until the whistle blew at the end.” Lacey said.
Sophomore Jamie Bumgardner played a large role in the effort, coming off a team-high of three points, two goals and an assist in the loss to Denver. Wednesday afternoon, she stuffed the stat sheet with three points, one goal and two assists.
Hannaford said the team was looking to string together the good offensive and defensive aspects of their play Wednesday. She looks for the team to capitalize on missed opportunities, which will, in turn, improve its shooting percentage. Also important for Hannaford is for the Colonials to limit their turnovers, helping them maintain control of the game.
GW will have a chance to do so in its final two games of its five-game home stand, against Bucknell and Holy Cross.
“Keep going. We are such a good team. I think this game kind of helped prove that to ourselves. We’re going to keep that in our heads. Just keep charging forward because the next two teams we face we can definitely take on,” Hicks said.
