The Capital University women’s lacrosse season is off to an excellent start, winning each of their first 14 games.
Many of these games have come across as dominant wins to start the season.
The team started their season with an 18-3 win against Albion and has not looked back since. The team is looking to make its mark in the OAC.
They are led by head coach Stacey Florence, who has been at the helm since 2013. Ever since Florence took over, the team has seen consistent results, proving to be one of the best programs in the OAC.
Despite their consistency, they have never made it over the hump, finishing as the runner-up in 2016, 2017, and 2019. This year though, the team seems keen on changing that.
In the past, the women’s lacrosse scene in the conference had been dominated by Mount Union. That was who stopped Capital in the OAC tournament. This past year they were dethroned by John Carroll, who claimed their first title.
For that reason, those games have been circled on the schedule by Coach Florence.
“Those two games are circled, and those two games we’re going lights out,” said Florence.
So far, they are halfway there. The team hosted the defending champions in John Carroll and took the game 18-8. They travel to play Mount Union on Friday, April 15.
The Comets never allowed John Carroll to score more than three times in a quarter. The game was 11-6 going into the fourth before five straight goals put the game away and cemented the win.
The Comets were led in this one by first-year Grace Osborn, who scored six times in the win.
The win helps to solidify that this team is special in the minds of players and fans alike.
“We just have a special group of girls,” said Coach Florence, “For them to see it now when we’ve known since preseason, but for everyone else to see it, I know that it’s real.”
The team this year is diverse and experienced. On the roster are six seniors and two graduate students, and Florence gives them a lot of the credit for the start that this team is having.
“I think that a big reason is that they’ve played in championship games before, and they’ve come up short before. We’ve had winning records every year, and we’ve made playoffs every year, but we always just came up short. Now, these leaders realize this is the year that we can do it. This is the year that is meant to be us,” she states.
Statistically leading the way for the Comets on the field is one of the aforementioned graduate students, Brooke Delara, who leads the team with 113 points through the first 14 games.
Following behind, trailing by only one point, is first-year student Grace Osborn, who leads the team and all of NCAA women’s lacrosse in goals with 88 and sits at second in points with 107.
Three games remain between the team and a perfect regular season. They travel to Mount Union, before finishing up against Heidelberg and Ohio Northern at home.
Coach Stacey Florence invites everyone to come out and watch. “We’re fun, and the girls have fun, and it’s exciting. And if you’ve never come to watch a lacrosse game before, I think watching this team play will make you [say] ‘wow, this is a fun, exciting sport to play, so we would love the support.’”
