A combination of improved team dynamics and an electrifying cheering section spurred the McGlinn Shamrocks (3-1) to a 13-0 win over the Howard Ducks (0-3) Thursday night. The first half opened with a surge of momentum and intensity on the Shamrocks' part - something they've been striving to perfect the past few games. Running back Raquel Ferrer, a standout this season, ran for 20 yards, pivoting and dodging Duck defensive players to make it 1st and goal. An attempt at a touchdown literally slipped through wide receiver Liz Maher's hands, but the Shamrocks made up for the erred attempt later in the game. Wide receiver Carolyn Gibbs, dubbed "White Lightning Gibbs" by teammates, connected with the end zone for a touchdown and an extra point, putting the Shamrocks ahead 6-0 midway through the first half. "We came out sluggish every other game and got ourselves in the hole early," McGlinn captain On-Kay Wong said. "We struggled coming out of the blocks. We really started off strong today."With 10 minutes remaining in the game, Wong ran for 30 yards and put the end zone in sight for the Shamrocks. Quarterback Bridget Meacham passed the ball to Kelly Myers for a second touchdown. Cornerback Amy Larken also contributed to the Shamrocks' success with an interception.With three minutes left in the game, the Howard defense fired back, sacking Meacham and ultimately gaining possession of the ball. But the Ducks were unable to capitalize, as the Shamrocks regained possession with an interception from Wong and ended the game on a high note with a pass from Meacham to Maher for a 20-yard gain. "I think we played well on both sides of the ball," Wong said. "We accomplished two out of the three goals that were set for the defense: getting some interceptions and winning the game in a shut-out. We just put it all together tonight and had some long offensive drives." The Shamrocks hope to perfect their plays at practice before they meet the Badin Bullfrogs next Thursday. Wong believes the momentum the team has gained from today's game will give players the motivation to practice hard in preparation for the next match."We're coming off today's game with a lot of momentum, but we can't forget that all the teams are strong and just as good as we are," she said. Howard is set to meet Badin this Sunday.
Lewis 6, Lyons 0Cold weather is not conducive to catching passes, and it showed in Thursday night's game between Lewis and Lions.The Chicks knocked off the Lions with one touchdown, scored on the first drive of the game on a fade from quarterback Erin Nasrallah to Lynne McChrystal. On that first drive of the game, the Chicks picked apart the Lions' secondary as they drove 60 yards for the touchdown.However, it was a moral victory for Lyons."It's always hard to lose, but we made really great improvements as a team," sophomore tight end Ashley Sinnott said. "We're really looking forward to our game on Sunday."The Lions were able to hold the potent Lewis offense in the second half, but they couldn't get it done on offense. Drives stalled time and time again as Lyons failed to complete passes, and receivers had a hard time in the cold of Riehle Fields."We had trouble moving the ball and putting a consistent drive together," Sinnott said.Lewis, meanwhile, only had to score once, as their defense held solid throughout the game.
