ELON, NC – If history tends to repeat itself, the Elon University lacrosse team's effort on the road this past weekend was an outlier. Fueled by performances from two players in their first career starts, the Phoenix fought back to do something the program had never done before – complete a five-goal comeback, the largest deficit erased in program history.
"We all had really good energy, but I think that energy kind of turned into chaos," redshirt freshman Ana Lee Vandiver said.
After the first quarter, Elon trailed 6-1 against the VCU Rams, who ended the period on an unanswered five-goal run. A spark finally materialized for the Phoenix, with Vandiver scoring a minute into the second quarter.
"We huddled up, and Josh [Hexter], our coach, was like, 'You guys put yourself in this. They didn't do this,'" Vandiver said. "We can't shoot five goals at one time, so we were very realistic in the fact that it's going to be slow, and we're going to have to really work to get there."
Elon pitched a shutout in the second quarter and scored six unanswered goals to head into the half with the lead. In her first collegiate minutes, freshman Maddie Engelkraut was the engine of the comeback, delivering four assists before halftime.
"We all felt super connected, and our chemistry was great," Engelkraut said. "It was really special to play with all the other girls."
In a back-and-forth second half, the Phoenix would hold on to complete the comeback, taking down the Rams 12-11. Elon's 12th and final goal came from Vandiver, who finished the day with six goals and an assist.
"As soon as her stick is open and you throw the ball, I know she's going to catch and score because that's what she does best," Engelkraut said about Vandiver.
After missing last season and part of the fall due to injury, Saturday was the opportunity Vandiver had been waiting for.
"It was tough. It felt like I got back up and then I got knocked back down again. But again, my team was awesome throughout this whole process and coming into Saturday," Vandiver said. "I just felt like I finally had the opportunity to show what I was capable of and what I've always known I was capable of."
Vandiver showed what she was capable of, not just to her team but to the conference, capping off a stellar performance by being named CAA Rookie of the Week on Monday.
"We focused on moving for each other and moving for teammates, lacrosse is a team sport," Vandiver said. "It's not just you out there. Even if someone's going one-on-one with a defender, it's the six other girls out there that are moving for her."
Elon will return to Rudd Field for its home opener against the Furman University Paladins at 5 p.m. today. The Phoenix will look to build off its 2-1 record and budding stars on offense.
"We always have things that we're going to be able to work on. So, yes, take the win and celebrate the win. But at the same time, we have to acknowledge that we have a whole season ahead of us," Vandiver said. "We have so much more time to grow as an offense and as a team, both defensive and offensive units. Play for the girl next to you."
'Rising Phoenix' is a new student-led initiative to cover Elon Athletics. Through innovative content creation and storytelling, Elon University students will have the opportunity to highlight the moments, people and events that make an impact, leveraging the athletic department's various web and social media platforms for distribution. Follow Rising Phoenix on Twitter (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Jacob Kisamore at jkisamore@elon.edu.
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