By Izabela Gage
Staff Writer
Women’s lacrosse secured another conference win against Fitchburg State 21-6 March 30, and a 19-0 shutout win against UMass Boston April 2.
Framingham’s win streak extends to eight games and they currently lead the MASCAC with a 2-0 conference record and a 8-2 overall record.
This was their highest scoring game yet with a score of 21-6.
The Rams started assertively with eight goals in the first seven minutes.
Goalkeeper Isabella DiMare only let in two goals in the first quarter.
Framingham met and exceeded Fitchburg’s goals by scoring four and brought the score to 12-2 by the end of the first.
The Rams opened up the second with three goals before the Falcons could score.
Fitchburg netted two more while Framingham came up empty-handed for eight minutes.
Attacker Hailey Baker was able to alleviate their goal drought with two minutes left in the second.
The Rams' determination stayed consistent for the third when they scored four goals.
Framingham’s defense remained tenacious and DiMare kept the net untouched, not allowing the Falcons to net the ball for the entire quarter.
The fourth was quiet with neither team scoring for the first nine minutes. Fitchburg finally netted one goal but freshman attacker Ella Yeaton counterbalanced with her first collegiate goal with one minute remaining.
Their shutout win against UMass Boston is their highest point margin in a win so far at 19. This marks DiMare’s first career shutout with nine saves.
It was an electric game from the very start. Molly Lanier, midfielder, scored 40 seconds into the match. This was the beginning of the nine goals scored in the first quarter alone.
The Rams cooled down and scored three goals in the third. The Beacons had one shot on goal for the entire quarter, which was saved by DiMare.
In the third, both teams had six shots on goal. Four of Framingham’s were netted, contrasting UMass Boston’s zero. The first goal tallied was only 36 seconds in by midfielder Rachel Erickson.
By the end of the third, Framingham had a 16-0 lead.
Framingham did not let up for the last quarter of the game. They went three-for-three, netting all of their shots.
The Beacons had five shots on goal, but DiMare saved four of them, the other being a wide shot.
Erickson has tallied 200 career draw controls and has moved up to the second all-time position for draw controls behind teammate Regan Fein, who set the record this season.
Hannah Guerin broke the program record for career points at 289 March 20 but has pushed to set that higher at 301 career points.
Defender Maggie Grout passed Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach Casey Bradley in career caused turnovers and moved up to the fourth all-time position for the program.
Grout said being boosted to fourth has “definitely increased my excitement and confidence as we move further into our season. It also pushes me to work harder and continue to do my best every practice and game to help my team also get better and continue our winning streak.”
Nineteen of the 21 players on the roster played in the win against Fitchburg and 20 in the win over UMass Boston, which was all of the available players due to injuries.
This is the sixth out of the 10 games this season Bradley has played all of her available players.
Yeaton said Bradley “trusts our team and has full confidence in our skills. She is also able to read her players very well and knows what every one of us is capable of.
“She is so passionate about the game and that is what I believe drives our team. She is so into this position and is determined but also supportive of the players and that’s had a large impact on us,” Yeaton added.
Grout said, “Because Coach Bradley used to play here, it brings a unique perspective that other coaches would not be able to have. She knows what it is like to be a student-athlete at Framingham.”
Bradley said the team is “ready for our MASCAC play. Our confidence and energy are high right now. They're doing some awesome things right now, both individually and as a team.”
The Rams host Salem State for another conference matchup April 6.
“We are ready to show the league what we are capable of,” Bradley added.