Walter's Big Day Carries Davidson Lax to 15-10 Win over Navy

Saturday, March 29

Davidson, N.C.

1 p.m.

Davidson College Athletics

Navy

Walter's Big Day Carries Davidson Lax to 15-10 Win over Navy

3/29/2008 3:40:35 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID

Box Score

DAVIDSON, N.C. –– Senior Sarah Walter (Queenstown, Md.) set a new season-high while tying a career-best with six points on two goals and four assists and five Wildcats scored at least two goals in leading Davidson to its third straight win in a 15-10 decision over Navy at Richardson Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Davidson ran its record to 7-3 overall, two wins away from tying the school mark set by the 2006 squad. Navy fell to 7-2 on the season. Navy is in its first year of Division I varsity action after competing as a club team last year.

Walter helped Davidson grab an early 9-3 lead with three first-half assists, while then tacking on her two goals and another assist in the second period. The four assists matched a career-high for the senior and is a team season-high this year.

Junior Becky Horton (Walnut Creek, Calif.) had her fourth straight multi-goal game, netting a season-high four to lead the Wildcat attack. Two of her goals came on free-position shots (2-of-2) and Davidson as a team captured five of its 15 goals on 5-of-7 in free-position shot category. Navy was just 1-of-10 in its attempts.

Like Wednesday against Longwood, Davidson set the offensive tone early with three goals in the first 11 minutes of the first half. Horton started the scoring with a goal at the 25:33 mark, and senior Emily Palmer (Columbus, Ohio) and sophomore Jen Crawford (Mountain Lakes, N.J.) followed with goals at the 22:29 and 18:54 marks. Palmer pushed her season total in goals to eight with her third multi-goal game of the season, while Crawford netted a goal for the ninth time in the Wildcats' 10 games.

Three free-position goals mid-way through the half, and another score by both Horton and Palmer in the final seven minutes of the first period gave Davidson a 10-3 halftime lead.

Navy made a charge in the second half, scoring six of the first eight goals of the new half to bring the Midshipmen to within four at 13-9 and 9:30 left on the clock. Mary Ruttum scored two of her team-high tying three goals during the run, while Meg Decker had a goal and an assist. Decker tied Ruttum with three goals and added two assists for five points.

The four goals was as close as the Mids would get as Horton netted her fourth and final goal at the 5:58 mark, and senior Emily Diefendorf (Laurel Hollow, N.Y.) capped off the Wildcat scoring with her third goal of the game to close out the win. Diefendorf pushed her season total in goals to 21, tied for second-most on the team.

Defensively, senior Anna Mitchell (Garden City, N.Y.) and junior Jennifer Drew Lindsey (Davidson, N.C.) led the team with four groundballs each. The Wildcats as a team picked up 17 groundballs and forced 17 Navy turnovers.

Senior Laura Johnson (Baldwin, Md.) recorded 12 saves in goal to earn the win.

For Navy, Natalie Blandon and Vanessa Nieves tallied a combined seven saves.

Davidson concludes its five-game homestand with a contest against Pfeiffer on Apr. 2 under the lights at Richardson Stadium at 7 p.m. The Wildcats are 5-3 at home this season.