In dominant fashion, the John Carroll women’s lacrosse team fired on all cylinders, leaving no doubt in their first conference match at home on Saturday, March 23, against Muskingum University.  Defeating the Fighting Muskies 22-0, the Blue Streaks recorded their first shutout in program history.

From the start, the result was never up for debate, as the Blue & Gold opened up a 10- goal lead within the first 15 minutes of the first half. Fifteen of those 22 goals came from the sticks of junior Colleen Grombala (4), freshmen Alex Heishman (4) and Emma Workman (3), and sophomore Sophie Brandimarte (3).  

Grombala has had three straight games with at least two goals, while Heishman has scored in every contest of her collegiate career, posting scores in seven consecutive games.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the field, the John Carroll defense allowed only three shots, all of them coming in the first half. Heishman and Workman demonstrated their prowess on the other end of the field, causing three turnovers each and grabbing a combined seven ground balls.

 Junior goalie Elyssa Zablo only faced one shot and handled it with ease, while fellow goalie sophomore Kaleigh Kotula only required intervention for one of the two shots she has faced.

With the victory, John Carroll holds second place in the conference, just one game behind Mount Union and a half game in front of Heidelberg. Muskingum remains in last, just a half game behind Marietta.

Despite the fact that Muskingum was not the most challenging conference matchup of the year, the game demonstrated the capabilities and talent on the 2019 JCU roster. The major additions of Heishman, Workman, freshman Molly Carroll and more, paired with the leadership and experience of Zablo, Grombala, Guage and McQuinn, put John Carroll in a strong, balanced position heading into more conference action.

This Wednesday, March 27, the Blue Streaks were scheduled to take on Allegheny College in Pennsylvania before returning to action at Wasmer field against Otterbein.