The Riverview Rams Varsity Girls (2-1) traveled to Bradenton for a District 11 matchup against the Lakewood Ranch Mustangs (1-1). The Rams jumped out to a 12-7 lead in the first half as a result of 5 goals by sophomore Chloe Hackl, and hat-tricks by junior Susan Lowther and sophomore Caroline Steinwachs. By the end of the game, 7 different Rams contribute to the scoring barrage and Riverview secured a 20-10 win over the Mustangs.  Riverview’s scoring was lead by Lowther with 10 points (4G/6A), Hackl with 8 points, and a career high of 7 goals, and Steinwachs with 7 points (6G/1A). Emily Hazlett, Katie Hazlett and Clementine Schwartz also added a goal. Lakewood Ranch’s scoring was led by junior Brooke Harris with 4 goals and senior Morgan McCabe with 3 goals.

Steinwachs and Lowther had a strong night on the draw circle, winning 80% of the draws (25/31). Senior Mia Rey had 8 saves in goal.

RIVERVIEW RAMS RECORD!
Congratulations to Riverview’s Susan Lowther on her 6 assists in the game, which moved her into #1 position for Career Assists for the Rams, with 62 Assists. The assist record was previously held by Ronnie McCurdy (2018) with 56 career assists. As a junior, Lowther now holds all three career scoring records for the Rams, with 181 points, 119 goals, and 62 assists. Congratulations, Susan!

A decisive District win for the Rams against the Lakewood Ranch Mustangs.  Success at the draw circle, 14-for-21, led to a 12-8 victory for Riverview.  Both Susan Lowther and Riley Spingler had 4 goals, apiece.  Alana Sotolongo’s 4 takeaways on defense were key to keeping the ball out of the Ram’s offensive zone.  Mia Rey had 9 saves in goal.

Welcome to the 2018 Lacrosse Season! Lakewood Ranch Mustangs hosted Riverview Rams and let’s hear it for the spirit that the Mustangs showed through the entire duration of the game. From the opening handshakes to the final whistle, the Mustangs demonstrated what it means to host a home game with class. Good Luck Mustangs as you continue through the season!

Lady Rams continued this season right where they left off last year… it almost felt like the season continued without a moment of time off. There were a lot returning players on the field this year, some playing new positions and some maximizing on their previous experience. The new players to the team stepped right up to the challenge and the team grooved right into their first victory of the season.

The Lady Rams wasted very little time firing off what would become a repeat revolver of a starting pistol. Thirty seconds into the game, Ronni McCurdy unleashed a warning shot of things to come. Ultimately leading the team in goals scored on the day, McCurdy tallied 5 goals to go along with her 4 assists as she shared the spotlight with Lauren Brown who posted 3 goals in today’s victory! Also scoring were Eden Byholm with 2 goals and Melanie Green, Amy Dunn, Lily Dougherty, Riley Springer, Allison McHenry, Chloe Keegan, Marissa Souchak and (if you’ll allow me to pause and catch my breath)… last year’s Goalie, Halie Birmingham moved across the field to play attack and scored the final of 18 goals!

We are all aware that these goals do not come simply by winning the draw, but it certainly helps when Gabriella Connelly can pop the draw into her teammates possession as successfully as she did. Ground ball recovery also showed up in the numbers tonight. Riley Springler, Ronni McCurdy, Gabriella Connelly, Marisa Souchak and Eden Byholm each recovered three ground balls… that’s some serious  time of  possession on the clock! It’s no wonder the defense found some time to prepare for the Mustangs who routed continuously during the second half, showing spirit that the scoreboard did not reflect.

The Mustangs have spirit and they will be back to take another run at the Rams on April 9th. Until then the girls can move forward this week enjoying their encouraging performance during their opening game.

Friday night The Rams face off against The Out of Door Academy, a team who has proven to be relentless in their dominance of the game. Good Luck Lady Rams and Congratulations on your opening performance!

C. Kulak – Recap Contributor