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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – A huge first half propelled the Otterbein women's lacrosse team to victory in its season opener Sunday afternoon, flying past visiting Baldwin Wallace by a score of 17-5 inside Memorial Stadium.
The contest, originally scheduled to be played up in Berea before field/temperature conditions forced a venue swap, marks Otterbein's first win over the Yellow Jackets since the 2014 regular season. Baldwin Wallace had won the previous six matchups.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The game was tied 1-1 early before Otterbein took control and never looked back. A 5-0 run, featuring goals from five different Cardinals, pushed the lead to 6-1 approaching the midway point of the first half.
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- BW temporarily stopped the bleeding with a score, but Macey Buchanan responded with three-straight goals by herself within 80 seconds and the rout was on.
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- The Cardinals carried a 12-3Â advantage into the break, and Lauren Newkirk finding sophomore classmate Emily Willms for a goal at 24:18 of the second half activated the running clock.
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INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- Otterbein held a 27-5 shot margin at halftime and ultimately finished 35-17 in the category. Seven different players scored a goal, led by four from Buchanan along with hat tricks from Kiera Mulcahy and Julia Karas.
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- Karas, who played just one game last season after getting hurt in the opener, reached exactly 100 career points with her third goal of the day. She is a 2x All-OAC selection.
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- Newkirk, leading the club in assists last year, delivered a game-high four to begin her second campaign.
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- Goalie Leah McNutt, making eight strong saves, and the Cardinal defense stymied BW's attack all day. The Yellow Jackets committed 25 turnovers and went just 1 of 6 on free-position attempts.
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- Otterbein dominated the draw control by winning 17 of 23 chances, spearheaded with nine from Buchanan.
UP NEXT:
Otterbein remains at home throughout the week, continuing a three-game homestand by welcoming Ohio Northern on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
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