Pitt lacrosse dominates Duquesne in season opener

Pitt lacrosse had its season opener on Feb. 9 against local Pittsburgh team Duquesne. The Panthers ultimately cruised past the Dukes, winning the game 20-2.

The Panthers came out hot offensively in the first quarter. With junior team captain Jill Fenech taking the draws, she consistently set up her team for offensive success. 

Pitt scored the first goal in the game, as first-year attacker Avery Moon set up the shot for fifth-year attacker Camdyn O’Donnell, who found the back of the net.

Pitt’s next goal came by a penalty shot scored by junior attacker Sydney Naylor with 10:09 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Pitt midfielder first-year Kaitlyn Giandonato scored the Panthers’ third goal with an assist from junior midfielder Talia Zuco.

Throughout the first quarter, Duqeunse failed to put pressure on Pitt. The Panthers ended the first quarter with seven shots on goal. The Dukes didn’t set themselves up for many shot attempts. Pitt’s goalkeeper, graduate student Audrey Moran, ended the quarter with three saves. 

Duquesne finally found its first score of the game at the end of the first quarter, as redshirt sophomore Corinne Webb managed to find the back of the net. The first quarter ended with Pitt leading 3-1.

Throughout the second quarter, the Panthers excelled even more defensively. The Dukes failed to keep possession of the ball, especially around the 12-meter fan. Duquesne only found seven shots on goal in the second quarter, with Moran blocking six of them.

Penalties and sloppy gameplay set Duquesne up poorly. The Dukes had nine fouls compared to Pitt’s one in the second quarter. 

The Dukes also simply couldn’t keep up with the Panthers down the field. Pitt had an impressive 23 shots on goal with only five saves from the Duquesne goalie, redshirt junior Rachel O’Toole. 

With such a strong unit on both sides of the field for the Panthers, the team scored eight unanswered goals in the second half. 

Pitt junior attacker Jenna Hendrickson excelled this quarter, posting four goals. Hendrickson’s efforts helped the Panthers take an 11-1 lead at halftime.

Pitt kept the pressure on Duquesne in the second half, as junior attacker Ava Washington scored just a minute into the third quarter. Pitt went on to score three more unanswered goals to start the second half.

Duquesne finally ended Pitt’s 14-goal streak, as sophomore attacker Emma Raines managed to put another point on the board for the Dukes.

But the game continued looking bleak for Duquesne, as Pitt cruised into the fourth quarter leading 15-2.

Duquesne had a costly penalty to start off the fourth quarter. Webb almost got her second goal of the day but received a yellow card inside the eight-meter arc for having a high stick.

The Panthers went on to score five more goals to end the game, as senior attacker Madigan Lublin and junior attacker Devon Cavanaugh found the back of the net twice each. First-year attacker Kendall Barnes and sophomore midfielder Ava Sumwalt both scored one goal in the quarter as well. 

Duquesne’s poor ball possession, costly penalties and an explosive effort from Pitt ultimately allowed the Panthers to walk away with the 20-2 win. Pitt had a variety of different scorers this game, making this a complete team win. 

The Panthers’ next game is next Thursday, Feb. 15, with coverage starting at 6 p.m. on the ACCNX.