By: Jake Miller
HARTSVILLE, S.C.- Coker women's lacrosse defeated Columbia College 17-7 on Thursday night (Feb. 16) to get their first win of the season.
The Cobras struck in the first minute when Marabeth Durden found twine off a feed from Faith Kent. After Columbia knotted the game at one, Haley McCusker scored back-to-back goals to get Coker in front 3-1. Columbia would get within one again, before Mackenzie Baker would rattle off two straight to strengthen the home team's advantage. Baker's goals would start a run of five straight from Coker, coming from Kent twice and Claudia Jenkins. McCusker would close out the first half with a hat trick goal to put Coker up 9-4 at the break.
The Cobras would score five in a row to start the second half and stretch the lead to 10. McCusker netted her fourth, followed by another tally from Jenkins. Baker would put up two straight, the second at the 5:40 mark of the half being the 100th of her Coker career. McCusker would register her fifth just 10 seconds after Baker's milestone, and the Cobras would go on to maintain a double-digit lead for most of the second half. Jenkins, Durden and Bailey O'Brien scored the remaining goals for the Navy and Gold.
McCusker finished with a team-high five goals, while Baker tallied four markers and one helper. Jenkins netted a hat trick, while Durden and Kent each scored twice. Cassie Williams (1-1) picked up her first collegiate win in the cage, stopping five shots. As a team, Coker outworked Columbia on ground balls 29-17, won draw controls 17-7 and outshot the Koalas 37-14.
The Cobras are back at the Coker Athletic Field next Saturday (Feb. 25) when they take on North Greenville for a 4:00 p.m. opening draw. Tickets for the game are $5 for adults, $3 for students and free to all Coker faculty, staff and students.