The Lions defeated St. Joseph College 14-4 in Hartford, Conn., this past Friday, winning their second straight game and bringing its record to 3-4 at the halfway point of the season.,After a slow start, Emerson’s women’s lacrosse team has finally found its niche.

The Lions defeated St. Joseph College 14-4 in Hartford, Conn., this past Friday, winning their second straight game and bringing its record to 3-4 at the halfway point of the season. The victory matched the team’s total from all of last year.

Leading the way for the Lions were senior Keri Angus, who had six goals, and junior Jessie Kalikow, who added five of her own. Angus and Kalikow, the two leading scorers on the team, brought their season totals to 23 and 18 respectively.

In this game, though, the key for the team was defense.

Goaltender Kelly Johnson played one of her best games of the season, allowing four goals, and head coach Mike Blanchard said the team’s defense has been one of the most consistent aspects of the team’s play all season.

“With Devin Turner and Megan Robinson, we’ve been playing really good defense,” Blanchard said. “Kelly has been making huge saves. [The defense] came up really big.”

Also key to the success was the team’s efficiency in gaining possession of ground balls.

Turner, a freshman defender, is first in the New England Women’s Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) and number 30 overall in the country at scooping up ground balls.

“Our team ranks first [in the conference] in ground balls, and ground balls are the most telling statistic in lacrosse,” explained Blanchard. “Owning ground balls wins games.”

Blanchard said an April 10 match-up with NEWLA opponent Lasell College would be key to the team’s season.

“We have to beat Lasell,” said Blanchard. “They’re a tough opponent and a good team with a similar record [to us]. They have some girls who can really light it up.”

With the team riding its two-game win streak, Blanchard said his team continues to get better with each contest.

“The team is all about slow, steady improvement,” Blanchard said. “They’ve found a way every game, win or lose, to improve. If they can carry that over into the Lasell game, it will be key.”