With its 15-8 victory over Lafayette on Sunday, the Columbia lacrosse team did something it hasn’t done in three years—open the season with consecutive wins.
Behind the offense of Brittany Shannon and Holly Glynn, the Lions took their home opener against Monmouth by a 14-10 tally before doubling up the Leopards on the road. The victories give the Light Blue back-to-back wins to start a season for the first time since 2006.
The Lions wasted no time getting on the board against the Hawks, as goals by Glynn, Shannon, and Lauren Olsen gave Columbia a 3-0 lead in the early going. Two consecutive goals by Monmouth in just under two minutes closed the gap to one, but the Lions pulled away with goals by Megan Donovan and Glynn again to stretch the lead to two at 5-3. The Hawks were unable to close that gap, as another three-goal spurt put the Lions up five at the break.
The second half saw the Light Blue up by as much as eight after another unassisted goal by Glynn made it 11-3 Columbia. Monmouth’s offense came to life after the break, totaling seven goals, but the Hawks never posed a threat in a game the Lions won handily. Glynn led all scorers with six goals, while Shannon chipped in four.
The Lions picked up right where they left off the next day at Lafayette. Unassisted goals by Glynn, Rachael Ryan, and Taylor Gattinella set the Lions up 3-0 at the start of the game. The Leopards managed to tie the score with their own run of three goals, however, notching three straight scores in five minutes. Olsen and Glynn picked up two more goals for Columbia to regain the lead, but with only 19 seconds remaining before the half, Lafayette’s Andrea Corpora cut the Lion lead to one.
An early Brittany Shannon goal would set the tone for the remainder of the game as the Lions would outscore Lafayette 9-3 in the second half. The game was tied once more at seven apiece, but the Columbia offense soon found its rhythm and went on a seven-goal run, setting the score at 14-7. In the ten-minute boost, Shannon scored four goals en route to her game-high six goals. Olsen, Ryan, and Gattinella each tallied additional goals as well.
While Shannon paced the team, Olsen finished with two goals and two assists. Goalkeeper Emma Mintz was also a key contributor, with a game-high four groundballs and eight saves.
Hoping to extend its win streak to three, Columbia next faces Wagner on March 4 in Staten Island, NY at 3 p.m.