Christopher Dacanay
Sports Editor
The Lady Barons lacrosse team secured a 17-8 win against the Chatham University Cougars at the season’s last home game at 4 p.m. Saturday for Senior Day.
The Lady Barons honored their seniors: attacker Grace Deegan, midfielder Elizabeth Dudas and defender Margaret Gorman.
The team’s graduate students were also celebrated: midfielder Annie King, defender Margaret McKee and defender Drane Perpepaj.
Deegan scored the game’s first goal. The Cougars briefly pulled ahead, but Deegan and sophomore midfielder Riley O’Brien brought the score back into the Lady Barons’ favor.
Deegan scored a hat trick, from three unassisted goals, in the first quarter. The Franciscan Athletics page called Deegan “the greatest goal scorer in Franciscan history” in its recap of the game.
The Lady Barons had an even more successful second quarter, quickly scoring six goals and permitting none from the Cougars. Freshman goalie Rose Kane made four saves.
Deegan grabbed another hat trick in the second quarter. By halftime, the score was 10-4, Franciscan.
Chatham’s offense upped its aggression, but it was not enough. The Lady Barons’ scoring won the game 17-8.
Sophomore attacker Joanna Hilkert scored a career-high of six goals. Kane made nine saves in all.
Deegan scored seven goals, a feat she has achieved six other times during her career with the Lady Barons — her career-best is eight goals. Deegan also earned 10 points during the game, tying her program record.
This game followed another blowout win for the Lady Barons, 21-5 against Waynesburg University at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 20.
With one more game before the start of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championship, this win will play a major role in determining the Lady Barons’ seed.
The regular season will conclude with an away game against the Bethany College Bison at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The Lady Barons have a winning 2-0 record against the Bison.