March 23, 2008
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The 20th-ranked Commodore women’s lacrosse team won its second straight game Sunday, defeating American Lacrosse Conference rival Penn State, 10-7, at the VU Lacrosse Complex.
“We are always excited to walk away with a win in conference,” VU Head Coach Cathy Swezey said. “Especially in our first league game of the year. What I’m really excited about is how the team has responded in our last two games. We’ve been much more consistent and our younger players are stepping up to earn more playing time.”
Freshman Emily Franke led the Commodores Sunday, scoring three goals and adding two assists. Franke tallied Vanderbilt’s final two goals to ice the game and secure the Commodores’ second consecutive win over the Nittany Lions.
“Emily is a real competitor,” Swezey added. “She has a very competitive edge, and unlike many freshmen, she doesn’t play nervous. She has a great attitude and knows she can impact the game, and its great to see her work out there.”
Senior goalkeeper Brooke Shinaberry made 10 saves on Sunday even as the Nittany Lions outshot Vanderbilt, 23-22. A strong defensive effort was led by Heather Koutrakos, who had two caused turnovers and three ground balls.
Senior Margie Curran helped the Commodores dominate the draw, controlling three on the day to help Vanderbilt get an 11-5 advantage.
Sunday’s game ended a four-game homestand for the Commodores, who will play four of the next five on the road. Conference play continues next weekend, when Vanderbilt travels to Evanston, Ill., to take top-ranked Northwestern.
