BRIDGEWATER, Va. -
Taylor Mittelstadter (Chesterfield, Va./Manchester) and
Lilly Fowler (Phoenix, Md./Notre Dame Prep) both scored five goals to lead the Yellow Jackets to a statement victory on the road against Bridgewater College 18-9.
The Basics
Score: Randolph-Macon 18, Bridgewater 8
Venue: Bridgewater, Va. // Bridgewater College // Bridgewater Stadium
Records: Randolph-Macon (12-5, 6-3 ODAC), Bridgewater (8-8, 5-4 ODAC)
How it Happened
- Bridgewater opened up the game with two goals in two minutes by Annika Benson and Kaity Petersheim to take the early 2-0 advantage with 8:46 remaining in the first frame. The Yellow Jackets answered with two goals by Fowler to tie up the game at 2-2 at the end of the first. The Randolph-Macon defense held tough after the Eagles scored their goals, causing four turnovers in the final seven minutes and keeping the Bridgewater offense off balanced.
- In the second quarter, the Eagles stunned Randolph-Macon with four straight goals to open up a 6-2 lead with 7:32 left. The Lemon and Black fought back with intense pressure on the offensive end, rattling off three unanswered goals by Evie McNeally (Severna Park, Md./Archbishop Spalding), Cami McNeally (Severna Park, Md./Archbishop Spalding) and Fowler to pull within a goal at 6-5. The Yellow Jacket defense once again pulled through, after giving up a run of goals, forcing five more Bridgewater turnovers to bring the total to thirteen in the first half.
- Randolph-Macon saw Cami McNeally find the back of the net in less than a minute in the third quarter to tie up the game at 6-6. The Eagles would swing the pendulum back into their favor, with a goal by Lauren Roberts to take the lead back 7-6 with thirteen minutes remaining. Maggie Muldoon (Prince Frederick, Md./St. Mary's Ryken) and Rianna Lowery (Bel Air, Md./Notre Dame Prep) guided the Lemon and Black with back-to-back goals to take their first lead of the game at 8-7 with just under ten minutes left. Roberts tied the game back up for the Eagles, but Fowler found the back of the net with 4:21 on the clock to swing the lead back to Randolph-Macon at 9-8. Mittelstadter scored a clutch goal with seconds left in the quarter to shift the lead back into the favor of the Yellow Jackets 10-9.
- The Yellow Jackets were firing on all cylinders in the final fifteen minutes to make a statement in a 18-9 victory. Randolph-Macon outscored the Eagles 8-0 in the fourth quarter led by Mittelstadter that scored four of the eight goals. Evie McNeally contributed two goals to the eight, while Fowler and Lowery added a goal each during the dominant finish. The Lemon and Black outscored Bridgewater 16-3 from the 7:32 mark of the second quarter until the end of the game.
By the Numbers
- Mittelstadter and Fowler both scored five goals to lead the Yellow Jackets. Fowler also added two assists to total seven points in the game, the sophomore also recorded her second five goal game this season and third in her career. Mittelstadter has her second career five goal game, all coming this season.
- Lowery notched seven points on the evening with five assists and two goals. The five assists are the most the junior has recorded in a single game since Guilford in 2022.
- Evie McNeally recorded three goals, an assist to total four points in the sixty minute game. The junior also controlled seven draws to lead the team. Her sister Cami McNeally finished with two goals and an assist.
- Muldoon was the only other goal scorer, as the freshman scored one goal on four shots and scooped up a ground ball.
- Emily Pritchett (Cockeysville, Md./Dulaney), Amelia Davis (Davidsonville, Md./South River) and Annie Bartley (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) each had an assist. Prtichett led the team in ground balls with four in the game.
- Lydia Lesnevich (Catonsville, Md./Towson) caused three turnovers to lead the Yellow Jackets defensively.
- Emma Moxham (Street, Md./Garrison Forest School) added four draw controls, three ground balls and two caused turnovers to her stat line.
- Abi Detrich (Federalsburg, Md./Easton) caused two turnovers and scooped up three ground balls.
- Emma Taylor (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown) recorded two saves, caused a turnover and scooped up three ground balls in goal for Randolph-Macon.
For the Record
- The eleventh overall win and sixth conference win this season is the most wins in a season since the 2019 season in which the Yellow Jackets garnered twelve victories and five conference wins.
Up Next
Randolph-Macon will be the No. 5 seed in the 2024 ODAC Championships. The Yellow Jackets will host No. 8 Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday, April 27 at 4 p.m. in a first-round matchup on Day Field.
