MADISON/UNION, N.J. (March 30-31, 2023) - The Whittier College women's lacrosse program spilt back-to-back game contests in New Jersey, bringing their record to 5–4 on the season.

Thursday, March 30 at Drew University:

The first game of the back-to-back took the Poets to Madison, New Jersey, to take on Drew University.

The visitors found themselves in an early hole, allowing the Rangers to jump to a 4–1 lead in the first quarter. Senior midfielder Loren Jade Sepulveda scored the only goal of the quarter for the Poets.

The offense came alive for the Poets in the second quarter, scoring four by halftime. Attacker/midfielder Molly Landon, senior attacker Georgia Bachiochi (free position goal), senior attacker Samantha Nimmo (assisted by senior midfielder Chella Davidson), and first-year defense/midfielder Julie O'Brien (assisted by senior midfielder Payton Climer) each scored their first goal of the game to bump the Poets' goal total at intermission to five.

However, the Rangers' offense could not be stopped. They exploded for seven goals in the quarter, handing the Poets a deep deficit, 11–5.

Out of the halftime intermission, the Rangers would again score seven goals on the Poets. Unfortunately for the Poets, they could only put up two, needing a massive comeback in the fourth. Sepulveda and Climer (free position shot) were the two Poets who netted in the quarter.

Down 18–7 in the fourth, the Poets put up impressive offensive numbers,  but it was a little too late for the squad. Scoring six in the frame compared to the Rangers' two, Poets fell, 20-13, at the final horn.

Friday, March 31 at Kean College

Unlike the fist game of the New Jersey road trip, the Poets' game against the Kean University Cougars was a defensive affair.

The solid offensive performance from the fourth quarter against the Rangers carried over for the Poets in the first quarter, scoring four to the Cougars' zero.

Landon (free position shot), senior midfielder Jai Battle (free position shot), Sepulveda (free position shot) and Davidson (free position shot) gave the Poets a first-quarter lead.

Only two goals were scored in the second quarter, with each side scoring once. For the Poets, Climer scored the free position shot, handing the Poets a 5–1 lead going into halftime.

The Cougars scored three times in the third quarter, while the Poets scored once. The goal came from Bachiochi, her second on the road trip. However, now only down by two, the Poets needed to find another gear to close out the win.

The Poets did just that, scoring three times to keep the Cougars at bay. A solid defensive performance allowed the Poets to hammer out a 9–6 win, closing out a successful road trip.

Thanks to junior goalie Haley Hughes-Gill's impressive performance, the Poets stifled the Cougars' offense. Of the 23 shots taken by the Cougars, Gill saved 17 of them!

Sepulveda and Climer led the day with two goals, while Nimmo paced the Poets with one assist. Whittier hosts Chapman on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and then welcomes Cal Lutheran Saturday at 11 a.m. on Senior Day.

Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

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