The John Carroll University Women’s Lacrosse Team is heating up just in time, as the OAC Tournament approaches. 

On Saturday, April 23, the Blue & Gold celebrated their largest margin of victory this season as they defeated Muskingum University 25-3 in a sunny afternoon game at Don Shula Stadium. 

Family and friends gathered on the field to honor John Carroll’s four graduating seniors before the game: Alex Heishman ‘22, Carly Ross ‘22, Jenna Ginsberg ‘22 and Claire Mezzoprete ‘22. 

“I’m very proud of this group of seniors,” said Ross. “Over the years, we’ve become leaders on the team and have helped build a positive and united team culture. We have also contributed to taking the program to a more competitive level.”

The victory over Muskingum marked the team’s fifth straight victory. 

“The coaches and the younger girls on the team put a lot of effort into making it a big day for us seniors, so it was great to achieve such a convincing win and continue the celebrations,” said Ross. “This season started off on a rough note and was challenging for us, so it meant even more to continue our win streak.”

The senior class led the team during the game, as Heishman had a career day. 

In the first period, Heishman kicked off the scoring for John Carroll, putting a ball into the net just 45 seconds into the game. 

Heishman’s successful day continued as she scored five goals and tallied seven assists. Her 12 points in the victory was a career-high for points in a single game. Her seven assists set a new career record as well. On Saturday, Heishman became only the third player in John Carroll’s program history to record 12 points and seven assists. 

Throughout the entirety of the game, the team showed their depth and versatility as 13 players came away with at least one goal. 

Mary Doherty and Ross each notched a hat trick in the victory with four and three goals each, respectively. 

Throughout the four periods, Ava Welchans, Maddie Munding and Livy Munding all made appearances in the cage as goalkeepers. All three of the goalkeepers combined for seven saves in the victory. 

With the OAC Tournament on the horizon, the JCU Women’s Lacrosse Team has their eyes on the prize – the OAC Championship. 

“As the OAC tournament approaches, we’ve been focusing on continuing to build our team chemistry and play to our strengths,” said Ross. “We’re really excited for the opportunity to compete for another OAC championship.” 

On Wednesday, April 27, John Carroll will compete in their final regular season game. The contest will occur in Alliance, Ohio, against the University of Mount Union. With a Blue Streak victory, John Carroll will lock in the No. 2 seed going into the OAC Tournament.