NEWS RELEASE
April 3, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Virginia Harley, Director of Communications
vharley@JMUsports.com
RICHMOND, VA – The #12 ranked JMU Dukes defeat the Richmond Spiders 18-12 in a dominant performance with their star players leading the charge.
The JMU Dukes were led to victory by Maddie Epke. The sophomore dominated the centerfield with 17 draw controls, beating her personal record of 14 this season. Combined, Epke and senior Isabella Peterson had 8 goals to cement their team’s victory.
The Richmond Spiders were kept alive by Grace Muldoon’s 4 goals, but they were ultimately no match for JMU’s dynamic team. Despite a long lightning delay after halftime and slippery conditions, the Dukes returned to the field and continued to dominate. Just over 3 minutes into the 3rd quarter, senior Katelyn Morgan scored her 19th goal of the season, increasing her team’s lead 8-5.
There were several personal records broken and important milestones for the Dukes in this matchup. In the 10th minute of the 3rd quarter, freshman Emily Simkin scored her first collegiate goal after playing in 6 games thus far. Additionally, Epke surpassed 100 draw controls this year and Peterson has been named the team’s lead scorer with over 43 goals in the 2024 season so far.
The Dukes’ roster is home to a talented sophomore class and an even stronger group of seniors, as demonstrated in the game this evening.
By the end of the 4th quarter, the Dukes had racked up 18 goals to the Spider’s 12.
The JMU Lacrosse team’s social media shared a post captioned, “A little rain couldn’t stop the Dukes from getting a dub”.
After this win, the Dukes hold a winning record of 9-3 heading into their matchup with Temple University this Saturday at noon.
About the JMU Dukes:
The JMU Women’s Lacrosse Team is an NCAA Division I program competing in the American Athletic Conference. The team is headed by coach Shelley Klaes who led the program to win the National Championship in 2018. The JMU Dukes are located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. For more information visit: https://jmusports.com/sports/womens-lacrosse.