On Saturday, the Ladies lacrosse team staged a comeback win against DePauw University, bringing their overall record to 11-1 and maintaining their undefeated NCAC record of 5-0.

Kenyon opened the scoring with a goal from Ella Murphy ’23 in the first minute of play. Despite the promising start for the Ladies, the Tigers roared back with four unanswered goals. Kenyon was able to shrink the deficit to just one, as Murphy scored two more goals to complete a hat trick. Despite her efforts, DePauw answered back with two more goals of their own in the final two minutes of the first half, taking a 6-3 lead into halftime. Murphy credited DePauw for having a complete attack on offense. “Their attack had a lot of height, especially on the draw, which gave them the advantage of a few extra possessions,” she wrote in an email to the Collegian. 

Down in the game but not out, the Ladies began mounting their comeback in the third quarter. Though the Tigers were able to maintain pressure in the opening minutes of the third, a shot-clock violation gave Kenyon an opportunity to gain possession. A foul on DePauw gave Emma Hutchison ’23 a free-position shot, which she fired home. After Murphy scored her fourth goal of the afternoon, making it a one-goal game, DePauw called a timeout. But Kenyon maintained pressure, forcing another shot-clock violation, which led to a game-tying goal from Mallory Brophy ’25. Caroline O’Neil ’23 then gave the Ladies their first lead since the first period with her team-leading 30th goal of the season. 

Though the Tigers tied the game shortly after, two more goals for Kenyon put the game out of reach. DePauw did not go away without a fight, scoring once more in the fourth quarter, but Murphy praised Kenyon’s defense for being up to the task and helping to keep the Ladies’ lead. “During the second half, we capitalized more on our attack possessions and re-defended in the ride to get even more chances on the offensive end,” she said. The Ladies won by a final score of 9-8.

Kenyon will next play April 27, when they travel to face the College of Wooster in their penultimate regular-season game. Murphy emphasized the importance of the team being motivated and on the same page as they look to finish the season strong. “Everyone on our team has the same goal and we are determined to make our mark after losing two full seasons because of [COVID-19],” she said. “Clinching the NCAC title would be a dream to our team and would truly be a testament to all of our hard work this season.”