March 9, 2004
WC Athletics Reaches 5,000 Varsity Wins
Women's Lax Team Posts Historic Victory

ORLANDO, FL -- When a group of Washington College baseball players defeated Centreville, 45-24, back in 1871 to earn the school's first varsity athletics victory, no one could have known that a long tradition of sporting success had begun.

One hundred thirty-three years and 4,999 wins later, the 5,000th recorded varsity win in the history of Washington College athletics was achieved by a team comprised of women, who were not eligible to be WC students in 1871, playing a sport invented by Native Americans in a theme park unimaginable in the 19th century. The Washington College women's lacrosse team posted the historic victory this morning with a 12-6 win over Lynchburg College at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, FL.

The Shorewomen (3-0) jumped out to a 7-2 halftime lead against the Hornets (1-3) in the milestone win and scored their 12 goals on just 22 shots. Senior attacker Janet Studdiford (Wyndmoor, PA/Springside School) scored three goals and assisted on two others in the win, while senior attacker Casey Sawma (Conway, MA/Stoneleigh-Burnham) fired in four goals. Sophomore midfielder Emmy Hyde (Gaithersburg, MD/Watkins Mill) tallied one goal and four assists and junior attacker Lindsey Eichner (Raritan, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) contributed a pair of goals.

Freshman midfielder/attacker Megan Block (Annapolis, MD/Annapolis) scored her first collegiate goal in the win, while senior midfielder Minta Sayres (East Haddam, CT/Westminster School) also scored one goal. Sophomore attacker Erin Bollinger (Perry Hall, MD/Institute of Notre Dame) and freshman midfielder Melanie Ruppert (Severna Park, MD/Severna Park) each recorded one assist for the Shorewomen.

Freshman goalie Mollie Binotto (Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair) recorded nine saves between the pipes for Washington. Sayres tallied three ground balls and three draw controls, while sophomore defender Megan Crisler (Manchester, MD/North Carroll) added three ground balls and three caused turnovers.

Kelly Vornadore paced Lynchburg offensively with one goal and one assist. Five other Hornets each scored one goal. Ji-Young Eun and Charlotte Quigley each played one half in goal for Lynchburg. Quigley made all four of the Hornets' saves on the day.

Washington College head coach Suzie Friedrich, who gets credited with the department's 5,000th win, is actually the most recent head coach to be hired at the school, having been named head women's lacrosse and women's soccer coach in mid-July of 2003.

The Shorewomen will play another game in Orlando on Thursday, this time taking on St. John Fisher at 5:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE