ELON – On a sunny, seventy degree evening in North Carolina, the Elon faithful were reaping the benefits of Elon Day. Warm weather, high energy, but most importantly, a commanding win for the lacrosse team on home soil. The Phoenix defeated the High Point Panthers 15-7. It was an all-around team win for the Phoenix with 30 shots – 23 on goal – and seven different goal scorers.
The offensive success for the Phoenix began early. Elon jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first quarter before commanding the game at half by a score of 10-2. Redshirt junior Ana Lee Vandiver said there was communication between the team about the importance of starting off strong and carrying the momentum throughout the game.
"After ECU, we locked in and zeroed in on what we needed to work on," Vandiver said. "Today we were able to implement it for a full four quarters. We kept each other accountable, didn't get too excited after the first quarter, and we just played for each other. All of the hard work that we've put in over the past two weeks particularly has helped us to get closer to where we want to be in the process."
Vandiver led the Phoenix triumphs on Thursday, as she scored an impressive five goals and notched one assist. This was Vandiver's fourth career game with five or more goals for the Phoenix, and her single-game high for goals scored thus far. Vandiver was operating with ease, as even a stellar behind the back attempt almost landed for her a sixth goal.
"I obviously couldn't have the performance that I did without the rest of the team," Vandiver said. "We work together really well. They set me up for success, providing opportunities and letting the game come to me. Not forcing anything, but playing within the opportunities that we provide for each other is something we do very well. Most importantly, we're having fun. Remembering why we are here and who we're playing with."
The Phoenix was able to notch this victory to get back in the win column at 3-2. Elon began the season strong starting 2-0 with wins over Queens and Old Dominion before falling to Virginia Tech and East Carolina.
"It's still about trusting the process, and putting the work in for us," Vandiver said. "Today was a great step in that direction, playing the full 60 minutes and doing what we need to do. It's always a great feeling to get a dub after two losses, especially here at Rudd. We know we won today for a reason, and that it wasn't a fluke for us. We're putting the work in not only on, but off of the field as well. It feels good to win tonight, but we still have aspirations for the season ahead."
Elon will host Notre Dame on Tuesday at 1 p.m. before facing Hofstra for the CAA opener on Saturday at noon.
"I'm excited, they're going to be great games," Vandiver said. "We have to remember if we play together offensively, and defensively off the draw, then we'll be successful. Staying true to our fundamentals, and keeping ourselves grounded at all times. Not looking too far ahead, but not looking behind either."
'Rising Phoenix' is a 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 X (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Sydney Spencer at sspencer9@elon.edu.
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