Led by a triumvirate of the nation’s top scorers and a stingy defense, the University of Mary Washington women’s lacrosse team had a banner season in 2007, racing to a school record 16 wins and advancing to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Head Coach Dana Hall’s Eagles saw seniors Meaghan O’Leary and Kaitlyn Barker earn All-America honors, as O’Leary set school records with 60 assists and 109 points, and Barker score 82 goals and 91 points. Junior Caitlin Erickson was the third member of UMW’s scoring arsenal, as she posted 72 goals and 25 assists for 97 points.
The Eagles opened the season with easy wins at Villa Julie College and Sweet Briar College. UMW then jumped out to an early lead, but second-ranked Gettysburg College made a strong comeback to upend the Eagles, 12-8, in Gettysburg. Erickson had three goals and an assist, and O’Leary posted two goals and three assists in the game.
UMW then won a season-high six straight games, topping Christopher Newport University and Lynchburg College at home before edging Goucher College on the road in Capital Athletic Conference action. The Eagles then topped 10th-ranked Washington & Lee University in one of the most important wins of the season, 7-6, at the Battleground. Erickson had four goals to lead the way, as the Eagles limited the Generals to 19 shots, and goalkeeper Meredith Deitrick posted eight saves in the contest.
Barker scored four goals, and Erickson, Emily Talbot, and Ashley Scutari each netted three goals as UMW topped Catholic University, 16-13, to improve to 7-1 overall and 3-0 in CAC play. The Eagles then topped York, 13-7, to run its win streak to six, before slipping to Dickinson College, 13-10, in overtime. UMW rebounded to top Marymount, 22-2, before dropping a 13-9 game to second-ranked The College of New Jersey.
After winning three straight non-league games at Guilford College, Greensboro College, and Virginia Wesleyan College, the Eagles dropped games to St. Mary’s College and second-ranked Salisbury University to close the regular season. The Eagles then found another gear, peaking for the postseason, as they easily topped Villa Julie College, 21-8, and York College, 14-5, to return to the CAC championship game, where they fell at Salisbury, 14-11, marking the third time UMW fell to the second-ranked team in the nation by three goals.
Mary Washington opened play in the NCAA Tournament by hosting Eastern University, and came away with a 19-9 victory, as Erickson scored six goals, and Barker added five goals and one assist. UMW then traveled to Lancaster, Pa., for the NCAA regional tournament, where they upset seventh-ranked Babson College, leading 10-3 at halftime before holding on for an 18-14 win after a lengthy weather delay. Barker turned in perhaps her greatest game, as she scored a career-high nine points with eight goals and an assist, and O’Leary and junior Margaret Murray each scored three times. The team saw its season end one game shy of the final four, as the Eagles fell to eventual national champion Franklin & Marshall on the road.
In addition to All-Americans Barker and O’Leary, the Eagles said goodbye to a very strong senior class, with all-region defenders Kate Lyons and Stephanie Hearn. Also graduating are midfielders Murray, Julia Durkin and Ann Wisloski, who finished their careers by setting the school record with 16 season wins.