TicketsCINCINNATI – Led by a career-best seven goals from junior midfielder Ava Goeller, the Cincinnati women's lacrosse team cruised past Vanderbilt, 19-6, on Saturday for an American Athletic Conference-opening victory at Nippert Stadium.
UC won its AAC opener for the first time since 2019. The Bearcats' 19 goals are their most ever in AAC play. Cincinnati picked up its third win in 12 matches all-time against Vanderbilt, avenging last season's 23-7 loss.
Goeller scored seven goals, while junior attacker Lauren Ottensmeyer (four goals) and freshman attacker Camryn Callaghan (four goals) also tallied hat tricks.
"Our team just showed up to play and I am so proud of them," head coach Gina Thomas said. "Vanderbilt is a good team and I told them what happened this past weekend (16-3 loss at Michigan) was unacceptable and could never be who we are. When we decide to play, we can play with anyone. I can't say enough of how proud I am of this team. Ava Goeller has had some up and downs this season and she showed up today and that was a big difference. I think we out-statted them in almost every category and that is what it is going to take to beat really good teams."
UC held a 20-8 advantage on draw controls and a 34-15 lead on shots. Junior keeper Ashley Lapp recorded four saves as Cincinnati improved to 7-3 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
Cincinnati used stifling defense to hold Vanderbilt without even a shot in the first quarter and jumped out to a 4-0 lead.Callaghan got the Bearcats on the board less than 90 seconds into the match by whipping a goal past Commodores' keeper Paige Gunning. Ottensmeyer and senior Grace Wehland followed with goals shortly thereafter as the Bearcats took a 3-0 lead in the first five minutes.
Goeller pushed the UC lead to 4-0 on a dart in the net with 4:42 left in the first quarter. Thirty seconds into the second frame, Ellie Hillsabeck gave Vanderbilt its first goal – on its first shot.
UC moved back ahead 5-1 at the 11:09 mark in the second after junior midfielder Lindsey Durkota, making her first start of the season, found sophomore attacker Kylie Gioia for a goal. Twenty seconds later, Ottensmeyer scored her second goal of the day.
Ottensmeyer and Goeller completed hat tricks within seconds of each other at the end of the second quarter. Goeller added her fourth goal 30 seconds before the break as UC took a commanding 10-2 lead into halftime. The Bearcats continued to pull away in the third quarter with Goeller, Callaghan and Ottensmeyer all tallying scores in the first five minutes of the second half. Callaghan became the third Bearcat to secure a hat trick when Goeller found her with a pass and the freshman attacker spun a shot into the back of the net to make the score 15-3. Cincinnati extended the lead to 19-4 before Vanderbilt scored twice at the end of the match.
MULTIPLE MYELOMA AWARENESS
The match was dedicated to multiple myeloma awareness, a rare blood cancer affecting assistant coach and former UC goalkeeper Haley Hardy. Among multiple spotlights on the disease was a video dedication at the beginning of the match.
UP NEXT
Cincinnati hosts Butler at 12 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
UC won its AAC opener for the first time since 2019. The Bearcats' 19 goals are their most ever in AAC play. Cincinnati picked up its third win in 12 matches all-time against Vanderbilt, avenging last season's 23-7 loss.
Goeller scored seven goals, while junior attacker Lauren Ottensmeyer (four goals) and freshman attacker Camryn Callaghan (four goals) also tallied hat tricks.
"Our team just showed up to play and I am so proud of them," head coach Gina Thomas said. "Vanderbilt is a good team and I told them what happened this past weekend (16-3 loss at Michigan) was unacceptable and could never be who we are. When we decide to play, we can play with anyone. I can't say enough of how proud I am of this team. Ava Goeller has had some up and downs this season and she showed up today and that was a big difference. I think we out-statted them in almost every category and that is what it is going to take to beat really good teams."
UC held a 20-8 advantage on draw controls and a 34-15 lead on shots. Junior keeper Ashley Lapp recorded four saves as Cincinnati improved to 7-3 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
Cincinnati used stifling defense to hold Vanderbilt without even a shot in the first quarter and jumped out to a 4-0 lead.Callaghan got the Bearcats on the board less than 90 seconds into the match by whipping a goal past Commodores' keeper Paige Gunning. Ottensmeyer and senior Grace Wehland followed with goals shortly thereafter as the Bearcats took a 3-0 lead in the first five minutes.
Goeller pushed the UC lead to 4-0 on a dart in the net with 4:42 left in the first quarter. Thirty seconds into the second frame, Ellie Hillsabeck gave Vanderbilt its first goal – on its first shot.
UC moved back ahead 5-1 at the 11:09 mark in the second after junior midfielder Lindsey Durkota, making her first start of the season, found sophomore attacker Kylie Gioia for a goal. Twenty seconds later, Ottensmeyer scored her second goal of the day.
Ottensmeyer and Goeller completed hat tricks within seconds of each other at the end of the second quarter. Goeller added her fourth goal 30 seconds before the break as UC took a commanding 10-2 lead into halftime. The Bearcats continued to pull away in the third quarter with Goeller, Callaghan and Ottensmeyer all tallying scores in the first five minutes of the second half. Callaghan became the third Bearcat to secure a hat trick when Goeller found her with a pass and the freshman attacker spun a shot into the back of the net to make the score 15-3. Cincinnati extended the lead to 19-4 before Vanderbilt scored twice at the end of the match.
MULTIPLE MYELOMA AWARENESS
The match was dedicated to multiple myeloma awareness, a rare blood cancer affecting assistant coach and former UC goalkeeper Haley Hardy. Among multiple spotlights on the disease was a video dedication at the beginning of the match.
UP NEXT
Cincinnati hosts Butler at 12 p.m. ET on Wednesday.