On a bitterly cold and snowy Saturday afternoon, the Yeowomen managed to hold off the threatening University of Mount Union Purple Raiders to earn their first win of the season.

Oberlin got off to a hot start, jumping out to a 1–5 lead early in the first half despite having no substitutions due to injuries. First- year Grace Barlow, junior Sarah Andrews and senior Ilyssa Meyer all contributed goals in the early surge. After the early lead, the Yeowomen didn’t close out the half as they would have liked, and their lead fell to just three at halftime.

The Yeowomen were caught sitting on their heels at the start of the second half, as Mount Union put in three goals to make it 6–6 with a little over 17 minutes left to play. “They certainly changed their tactics at the half,” Head Coach Jacqueline McDevitt said. “We didn’t come out with the fire we had in the first half, and they took advantage of it. I am proud of our girls though for fighting on and pulling it out in the end.”

But the Yeowomen would have an answer. Sophomore Bronwen Schumacher scored the go-ahead goal with 8 minutes, 16 seconds to play, and after the Purple Raiders tied the game on a man-up goal, Schumacher rose to the challenge and scored again with 2:29 to play.

This goal broke the tie and gave the Yeowomen a 7–8 advantage. Down the stretch, senior goalie Madeleine O’Meara made several key saves to seal the victory for the Yeowomen.

“It was a hard-fought game, even though we weren’t quite expecting one,” Andrews said. Mount Union, which was playing its first varsity women’s lacrosse game, made the Yeowomen earn it.

“We were playing with virtually no subs, and some of our major contributors were out with injuries,” Andrews said when asked about the nonexistent bench help throughout the game. “When some of our girls get healthy again, it will be another story.”

These missing players included first-year defender Emily Kipling, sophomore midfielder Kate Frost, sophomore midfielder Kate Hanick, junior defender Sarah Orbuch and junior attacker Simone Brodner. Of that group, Orbuch and Hanick are expected to see action in the next game against Otterbein University at home Friday, March 8.

The Yeowomen made history as a program last year, going 11–5 on the season. They will look to improve on that mark this coming season, and as long as the injuries don’t hold them back, they are almost certain to do so. With three out of the next four games at home, Oberlin is poised to make an early-season statement.