University of the District of Columbia Women’s Lacrosse Earn Program’s First Victory, 16-2 vs. Hollins

WASHINGTON, DC – The third-year University of the District of Columbia women's lacrosse program earned its first ever victory by a final score of 16-2 in its 2016 season opener vs. Hollins University on a chilly, Saturday afternoon at Woodrow Wilson HS.

The Firebirds (1-0), a start-up HBCU program that was winless through its first two seasons, re-wrote the record books with this momentous first victory. UDC set program records for goals in a game (16), goals in a half (10), shots (37), shots on goal (27), ground balls (27) and draw controls (12).

Freshman attack Amy Rock (Falls Church, VA) set her own individual school record with seven points on six goals and one assist. Rock scored on all six of her shots, collected two ground balls and one caused turnover, and never turned the ball over once herself.

Other key Firebird performances included sophomore attack Nancy Cerros' career-high three goal effort, and two goals apiece by senior Amber Walls and juniors Dominique Dotson and Jazmin Lopez. Freshman Vanessa Valentine also had an impressive collegiate debut with a goal and an assist on a game-high eight shots (six on goal), and also contributed a game-high five ground balls.

Dotson opened the scoring a little over two minutes into the action as she scored an unassisted goal on a breakaway. Walls did the same thing less than a minute later to give UDC a 2-0 lead.

Hollins' Rikki Martinez put the visitors on the board at the 24:19 mark with an unassisted goal to make it, 2-1, but the Firebirds ran off eight unanswered goals to close out the first half. Rock scored four of those eight, as UDC went into halftime up 10-1.

The Firebirds continued to pour it on the second half as Rock added two more goals and assisted another during a 4-0 run to start the closing period. Lopez and Cerros each pitched in two goals in the second half, and the Firebirds' junior goalkeeper Dani Falco allowed just one more goal in the second half as UDC cruised to a 14-goal victory.

Falco finished with three saves on five shots faced, and the Firebirds were a program-best, 11-of-13 on clear attempts on the day.

Next up, UDC will visit Newberry College on Friday, March 4^th at 4 p.m.