Cardinal Mooney Cougars vs. Riverview Rams

Recap

The Riverview Rams stepped onto their home field and greeted members of the Cardinal Mooney Cougars in an integrated circle as a moment of silence was observed to pay respects for those lost in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida two weeks ago.

Following the moment of silence, women from both teams took a few moments to wish each other well,  congratulate each other on recent achievements and say hello to a few old friends. This show of sportsmanship and unity was a bit like a home coming for Ronnie McCurdy, who faced off against her old team. Within the reunions McCurdy found extra reason to shine as she peppered the field in typical fashion with 6 goals and 3 assists… all while cracking her 100 point achievement with the Rams.

The game itself was a telling story of successful team play. 27 ground balls helped compensate for Cardinal Mooney’s control of the draw… but the real story here was found in the net… our net. Lindsay Kaighin kept the Cougar’s scratching at rubble for most of the first half, allowing only 2 goals on 10 shots. It’s short math to realize how great that is when you become aware that the top goalies in NCAA D1 Women Lacrosse perform at 50% – 65%. (FYI: excluding shots that went wide, Lindsay finished the game allowing only 3 goals with 8 saves… that’s a .727 save percentage.) The numbers don’t lie. Congratulations Lindsay Kaighin… Job Well DONE!

Looking at the scoring stats tonight, we can acknowledge Marisa Souchak and Chloe Keegan who each scooped up 5 of the ground balls we mentioned earlier. Keegan introduced four of those to the back of the net while Souchak followed suit with a goal and 2 assists. Eden Byholm and Gabriella Connelly also poked through for 2 goals each. However, all 16 of those goals followed the game starter from Riley Springer, who opened the score board for operation 1:22 into regulation.

While the women are certainly entertaining to watch, they must work hard to prepare for the next big challenge on Friday Night when they head up to St. Stephen’s in Bradenton… ready to face the draw against the Lady Falcons. The Falcons, who are also undefeated, regularly pose the highest level of competition during regular season play.  A victory there would certainly be something to write about! GO RAMS! BEAT ST. STEPHENS!

Recap contributor: C. Kulak