Commodores Knock off No 2. Ranked Blue Devils 8-6 4/2/03

The Vanderbilt women’s lacrosse team recorded one of the biggest victories in
program history with an 8-6 victory over No. 2 ranked Duke Wednesday afternoon at the Vanderbilt Lacrosse Complex. This victory for the Commodores is their highest ranked win in school history.

The Commodores, who improved to an overall record of 4-4, battled Duke, now 9- 2, to a 3-3 tie at halftime. On the strength of a goal scored in the first minute of the second period, Vanderbilt continued to dominate the action and never allowed Duke to regain the lead.

Leading the Commodores individually from the crease, was sophomore goalkeeper, Ashley Bastinelli who recorded fourteen amazing saves. Her performance on the defensive side of the field was heavily complimented by a strong defensive effort provided by Vanderbilt.

On the offensive side of the game, Vanderbilt worked overtime to find holes in
the Blue Devil defense. They would have to shoot smart, clean, and accurate
goals in order to score against Duke's capable defense. Scorers for Vanderbilt
included Lauren Peck (3), Jessica Roguski (1), Michelle Allen (1), Kelly Devlin (1), Tara Schmucker (1) and Jeanie Crawley (1).

After the game, Head Coach Cathy Swezey had this to say, "I am so proud of
these girls today for working their butts off in the game. They earned this win
and deserved it outright. Our defense was strong and our offense was smart.
They kept their heads in the game and never let the intensity die down."

The Commodores now prepare for Sunday's road game against nationally-ranked Cornell. The next home game for Vanderbilt is April 12 at 1 p.m. as the Commodores host North Carolina at the Vanderbilt Lacrosse Complex.