University of Richmond Athletics
Spider Lacrosse Crowned Regular Season Co-Champions With 12-9 Win Over Duquesne
04/29/2007 | Women's Lacrosse
April 29, 2007
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Senior Ashley Friend delivered a six goal performance to lead the Richmond women's lacrosse team to a 12-9 victory over Duquesne on senior day Sunday at First Market Stadium. With the win, the Spiders (12-5 overall and 6-1 in the A-10) were crowned regular season A-10 Co-Champions, the second-straight year Richmond captured the title.
Ashley's six goals was a career-high performance for the senior and her sixth hat trick of the season. She also added two helpers as the Spiders, winners of seven of their last eight contests, earned their third-straight win over the Dukes (7-10, 2-5 A-10).
Spider senior Morghan Vahue also contributed two goals and one assist and junior Claire Cunniff tallied two goals, while sophomores Allison Furstenburg and Mandy Friend rounded out the Spider scoring with one goal apiece. Jenna Hubbard assisted on two Richmond goals, and Furstenburg and Zara Nematollahi added one helper apiece.
Despite an early 1-0 Duquesne lead following a goal from Courtney Tamasitis, the Spiders rattled off four-straight goals in less than two minutes for a three-goal advantage (4-1) with 24:45 on the clock. Vahue netted the first Spider goal to knot the game 1-1, and the Spiders won the ensuing draw and set up the attack for Cunniff's first of two goals on the afternoon. Ashley Friend then followed with a pair of goals, both assisted by Hubbard.
Just over 30 seconds later, Becky Green tallied an unassisted goal; however, the Spiders' Furstenburg found the back of the net off an assist from Ashley Friend to secure the three goal lead.
From there, the Dukes scored four of the next five goals to knot the game 6-6 with 4:36 left before the intermission. Duquesne's Sarah Cates, who finished the contest with a team-high five goals, sparked the Dukes into action, responding with two-straight goals to close the game to a one-goal differential with just under 13 minutes remaining in the first half.
Richmond's Cunniff answered just over 30 seconds later to lift the Spiders to a 6-4 lead, but the Dukes' Kathleen McNish and Cates each found the back of the net for the 6-6 tie. Following over 16 minutes of scoreless battle that extended into the second half, Richmond's Ashley Friend broke the stalemate with a spin move on the left side of the goal, faking out her defender for her third goal of the contest.
For the next six minutes, the game seesawed back and forth between goals from Duquesne's Cates and Richmond's Ashley Friend. Cates chipped in two to keep the Dukes in play, answering every Friend goal, while Ashley opened the half with four goals, the third and fourth which finally put the Spiders on top for good with a 10-8 lead. Vahue then followed Friend's lead with a goal off an Ashley Friend helper, giving the Spiders an 11-8 advantage.
The Dukes were able to get in one more goal in the final minute from McNish, however, Mandy Friend converted a free position goal in the last 0:15 to secure the three-goal win, handing the Dukes their fourth-straight loss.
The Spiders, seeded first in the league, will head to Philadelphia, Pa., May 4-6, in hopes of capturing their third-straight A-10 Championship. Live coverage of the Spiders' contests will be available at RichmondSpiders.com and also covered on CSTV.
