SPARKILL, N.Y. - - The 2023 campaign started off on the right foot for the Wilmington University women's lacrosse team on Saturday, shutting out St. Thomas Aquinas, 17-0, at Spartan Field.
It was the team's first shutout victory since April 15, 2014, when the Wildcats blanked the University of the District of Columbia, 21-0, at home. It was the second shutout of the 2-14 season. it is the sixth shutout since the Wildcats started the program in 2006.
It was a 9-0 margin in the second quarter that separated the Wildcats (1-0) from the Spartans (0-1), as the Wildcats took an 11-0 lead into the halftime break.
It was also an excellent collegiate debut for Ella Royer, as the freshman from Alberta, Canada, led the Wildcats with five goals and an assist for six points. She also led the team with 11 ground balls and six draw controls in the win.
Ella Royer scored the first three goals of the game for the Wildcats, with the first two coming in the first quarter. She opened the scoring with 7:42 to play and then made it 2-0 with 3:52 to play in the first. She then started the second quarter with her third goal of the game with 11:41 to play.
Anastasia Giannoulis scored her first collegiate career goal to make it 4-0 and then Ella Baynes scored three goals in a minute and 27 seconds to turn it into a 7-0 advantage. Ella Royer added her fourth of the first half before Maddie Day, Alea Javorowsky and Lauren Gresham all got in the boxscore with goals before the break to make it 11-0 at halftime.
Maddie Day scored two in the third quarter along with single goals by Giannoulis and Royer and the Wildcats led, 15-0, after the third quarter.
Amelie Gamache got in the goals column in the fourth while Michaella Cook scored her first collegiate career goal to cap the scoring at 17-0.
Amelie Gamache collected six points as well but in the direct opposite way as Royer, dishing out six assists to go with one goal. She was second on the team with four draws as well. Ella Baynes and Maddie Day finished with three goals each while Anastasia Giannoulis added two goals and two assists. Lauren Greshman and Michaella Cook each scored once and added two assists.
Katie Vindigni earned the win with the first half shutout while making one save. Ashley Richmond made her collegiate debut and made two second half saves to preserve the shutout.
The Wildcats are on the road for three more games, starting with a trip to West Virginia to take on Shepherd University on Friday. The opening draw is set for 2:00 p.m.