Ryan ChartrandThe lacrosse fields have been dominated for the seventh year in a row by the Cal Poly women’s club team as the Mustangs defeated Navy for the national title May 13 in Denver at the Women’s Division Intercollegiate Associates Championship.
“The championship game was a fun and memorable experience,” Cal Poly senior goalkeeper Carolyn Rupnik said. “It is not every day one can play for a national title. For Cal Poly lacrosse to do it seven years running speaks highly of the girls, the coaches and the wonderful support of our family and friends – basically the whole concept of Cal Poly lacrosse.”
The Mustangs were seeded No. 1 and played four games over the span of the tournament. The first two rounds were a breeze as the team took down No. 16 Minnesota 22-6, with the goals spread over the sticks of 10 different Cal Poly players.
The quarterfinals saw another steamrolling as Cal Poly defeated No. 8 Michigan State, 19-4. Senior attack player Janelle Jones led the Mustangs with nine goals, followed by sophomore midfielder Molly Sauer with three goals.
With four strong-willed teams left in the running, including rival UC Santa Barbara, the Mustangs had to pick up the pace. They were matched up against No. 4 Colorado State in the semifinals.
“Colorado State was the first game I have wondered if we would pull it out,” senior center Julie Friesen said. “We did not exhibit much heart or drive and they were playing their ‘A’ game. I knew that if we started playing together and as a team we would have no problem. However, I was wondering when that would happen.”
The Mustangs fell behind in the first half 7-3 for the first time in the tournament after Colorado State’s Lindsey Brown made two shots in a row. They picked up their game shortly afterward to come within one goal of the Rams at halftime. Jones took back the lead during the second half, but the Mustangs fell behind once more before leading a five-goal streak that put them on top for the win, 12-9.
“Our team went into halftime down by one, which was clutch, and then came back (in the) second half never looking back,” Friesen said.
Rupnik added: “(Colorado State) came out with intensity, and we had to come together as a team to come back and win it.”
Jones led once again with she and her younger sister, sophomore midfielder Brittany Jones, posting four goals each. Rupnik also put up a tournament-high 10 saves.
Cal Poly then advanced to the finals.
“We were confident going into the tourney,” Friesen said. “However, we knew that on any given day any team can win and any team can lose. We knew every team wanted to be the team to take Cal Poly down and every team plays their best against us.”
The last matchup was against Navy, seeded second nationally.
“We knew we had to put points on the board first to set the tone of the game,” Rupnik said. “Navy is a good team and they are going to NCAA Division I next year, so we were mentally ready to play the moment the whistle started the game.”
Right from the start, Cal Poly laid its claim with six consecutive goals, five from the Jones sisters. Navy scored three goals before halftime, but Cal Poly still maintained a comfortable lead of 6-3.
The Mustang defense held strong, with junior midfielder Jamie Oetman leading the way.
“Jamie had an amazing game,” Janelle Jones said. “She definitely led our defense and had several interceptions and turnovers.”
Friesen and freshman midfielder Hayley Saxton scored twice apiece in the second half, while the Jones sisters recorded the rest to give the Mustangs a 16-9 win and their seventh straight crown.
“You can score so fast in lacrosse, so I was never really confident,” Janelle Jones said. “I kept waiting for them to turn their game around and make a comeback. As soon as the game was over, I couldn’t believe that we won. I feel like the game went by so fast.”
Friesen added: “When we stepped out onto the field, we stepped out confident and unified. The game was almost flawless. Two teams competed. However, Navy told a parent after the game that they had never seen the level of lacrosse played that Poly played. That is a compliment that I will not forget.”
Brittany Jones was named the tournament’s Outstanding Offensive Player with 14 goals over the week, including eight in the title game. Oetman was named the tournament’s Outstanding Defensive Player. Both the Jones sisters and Rupnik earned first-team all-league honors and Friesen and Oetman earned second-team all-league recognition.
“Having a six-year streak to hold up put a lot of pressure on us,” Brittany Jones said. “But it also was a huge motivator for us too. We came out really strong in the beginning of the final game and I think that helped relax some of the girls’ nervousness.”
In NCAA-sanctioned women’s lacrosse, Northwestern, Duke, Virginia and Penn remain in the Division I tourney. The national semifinals are Saturday.