By Garrett Gess · Staff Writer
Wolverine women’s lacrosse took down Washington & Jefferson on the road last Saturday 16-11, which was followed by a home win against Allegheny on Tuesday. That tallies to seven straight wins now for Grove City and 3-0 in the PAC. They have a rhythm, and it’s a mighty strong one.
Entering the game against W&J, the Presidents looked to be the Wolverines’ biggest threat this season, coming behind Grove City in the PAC preseason poll at No. 2. While the game was a hard-fought match, the Wolverines solidified their No. 1 rank.
Junior attackers Taylor Blythe and Gwen Shilling each found the back of the net four times, while senior attack Jackie Rowell matched a career high with three goals.
The scoring didn’t stop there, as junior midfielder Tori Stevenson and sophomore midfielder Mia Mygatt each added a pair of goals, while junior midfielder Jess Robinette contributed a goal and two assists.
Blythe, who tallied five assists to go along with her four goals, recorded her nine points on the day. Stevenson added four assists of her own, while Shilling and freshman midfielder Avery Anderson also spread the ball out, each with an assist.
Late in that first quarter, Shilling struck on the power play to give Grove City a 6–3 edge. But W&J wasn’t about to go down quietly, as they battled back within one point by halftime and evened things up early in the third. That’s when Grove City answered in a big way. Robinette broke the tie midway through the third off a fine feed from Blythe, and then Rowell scored twice in a 54-second burst. Just like that, the Wolverines had themselves some breathing room again.
Washington & Jefferson made one last push, trimming it to 11-10 early in the fourth. But Grove City closed the show in style, rattling off four straight goals. Blythe scored twice in that stretch, while Shilling and Mygatt added one apiece to seal it.
Defensively, it was an aggressive showing. Robinette and freshman defender Gabri Hallam each scooped up five ground balls, while Hallam also caused six turnovers. Anderson added two more caused turnovers, and Mygatt and Shilling controlled the draw circle with six apiece. Freshman defender Sophia Happel held strong, claiming two ground balls. When the pressure mounted, senior goalie Mia Gallagher came up strong with nine saves to lock down the win. Turnovers were nearly even, but Grove City made the key plays when it mattered most to secure the win.
Against Allegheny, Grove City dominated, winning 20-1. Mygatt scored five times, Anderson and Stevenson three times and Rowell and Shilling twice. Blythe, Robinette and freshman midfielders Elliette Smith, Addy Porter and Maddie LaForte each scored as well.
The Wolverines enter a tough road stretch, playing at Westminster at 1 p.m. tomorrow before playing at Chatham next Wednesday. Those two teams ranked third and fourth, respectively, in the preseason poll. Grove City will then host St. Vincent on April 7, before playing two more consecutive road games.
A goal that is set before Head Coach Emma Olson and the Wolverines has been the coveted “three-peat.” Winning the PAC this year would make three straight championships for Grove City. Since the varsity women’s lacrosse program was created at Grove City in 2022, the Wolverines have appeared in every PAC championship, losing the first two, and winning the next two.
To preserve their throne of the PAC, Grove City will need to continue their sharp focus on one game at a time.
