Vermont Beats Niagara in Women's Lacrosse Home Opener

Junior Becky Kenison tallies fiv goals, leading the Cats past the Purple Eagles, 11-5, on a frigid Friday afternoon

Chris Fries

Issue date: 3/7/06 Section: Sports

Vermont freshman Kristan Miller(14) presses the Niagara defense during Friday afternoon's game. The Catamounts won, 11-5

Bone-chilling winds ripped through the souls of fans and players alike as Vermont took on Niagara in women's lacrosse action Friday afternoon on Moulton Winder field, UVM's brand new state-of-the-art turf field. In a non-conference matchup, the Catamounts of Vermont played host to the Purple Eagles of Niagara in both teams' season opener.
This was the first ever meeting between Niagara (who plays in the MAAC conference) and Vermont. Although admission was free, the fans paid a significant price in having to deal with the freezing temperatures.
The players were bundled up and ready to go, the national anthem played, the buzzer sounded, the whistle blew. The 2006 season had begun.
The Cats started slow, playing even with Niagara for the first few minutes. Coach Johnson called a timeout with the game tied at four to refocus the team and it paid off. The Cats would go on to outscore the Purple Eagles 7-1 from that point on and never looked back.
Goalkeeper Meaghan Hanley earned her first win of the season, recording five saves. Goals were scored by Millar, Clark, Maher and Wasson (who had two each), and Becky Kenison, who tore up the Eagle's defense, scoring nearly at will and finishing with five goals.
Afterwards, Kenison spoke with pride and compassion about her team, saying, "We are as tight a team as we've ever been. The freshman came in and pushed us older players to be better. We're gonna be a tough squad to beat."
Coming off a disappointing 2005 season (4-11 overall 1-5 in conference), the
Catamounts went to work during the offseason and had one of the best recruiting years in recent history. On the squad of twenty, twelve freshman suited up for Friday's game. Stand-out freshman include Kristen Millar (Whitby, Ontario), Tori Wasson (Lake Forest, IL), and Jen Maher (Waterbury Ctr., VT). Maher led the team with 5 points in a preseason scrimmage against Division III powerhouse Middlebury College, one in which the Cats beat Middlebury 14-3.
Key players returning to the team are junior Becky Kenison, sophomore goalkeeper Meaghan Hanley (America East All-Rookie Team last season), sophomore Emilie Clark, and junior captains Ashleigh Wilson and Christine Yoon (currently out due to injury).

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