Women’s lacrosse opens 2013 with 12-7 exhibition win against the Scotland national team

Senior midfield Caitlin Formato combines with Allie Hilderbrandt to score seven goals in Sunday's exhibition against the Scotland national team (Photo courtesy of Mason Athletics).

Lacrosse is traditionally a spring sport, but with a game-time temperature of 29 degrees and winds gusting up to 20 miles per hour, the conditions at George Mason Stadium in Fairfax were anything but spring-like.

The George Mason University women’s lacrosse team opened their 2013 season on Sunday by playing host to the Scotland national team in an exhibition game.

Last spring, the Patriots finished in eighth place in the conference with a record of 3-13, 1-6 in Colonial Athletic Association games. And after a 7-3 record in the fall, coach Lauren Hay expects an improved record this spring.

“In our fall season we definitely showcased a different team,” Hay said. “We have two new coaches on staff and we’ve really revamped our attacking unit. I think in the past couple years we tended to rely on one or two attackers, and this fall we really saw a variety of girls stepping up and being a threat.”

The team features six newcomers that Hay expects to add to the team’s depth.

“We have a strong freshman class this year,” said Hay, entering her fifth season as the team’s coach. “I definitely see them going and making an impact for us this year and adding much needed depth as far as getting different personnel in and being able to utilize our bench.”

Among those six freshmen is Chloe Chan from Manchester, England.

“I’m expecting a good season,” said Chan, who came to the United States on Aug. 22. “We started off pretty good in the fall, so I’m really excited to get the season started.”

Since the inception of the Women’s Lacrosse World Cup in 1982, Scotland has ranked eighth or better in world rankings; their best finish being third in 1986.

“I think it’s always nice to bridge those relations with international teams,” said Hay. “It’s kind of a different type of play. They play a bit more veteran-like and that’s something we can absolutely get educated on going into the season.”

The Scotland national team, led by captain Emily Knight, spent the last week touring the U.S. playing various college teams leading up to the 2013 Women’s Lacrosse World Cup held in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada in July.

On Sunday, Mason defeated the road-weary Scotland team 12-7 with Caitlin Formato and Allie Hilderbrandt combining to score seven of the team’s goals.

“It was a tough game today because our legs are pretty tired,” Knight said. “We’ve had a full-on tour; we’ve been training and playing every day. It was a really good game, and I think our first half was stronger than the second half, and we let Mason get away with it at the end.”

The Patriots outshot the Scots 38-15, using an up-tempo style of attack the Scotland captain was unaccustomed to.

“Their attack was pretty slick,” Knight said. “They were firing goals left, right and center. There’s just something about the U.S. players versus the European players; they take their shots early. They’re not scared just going in with confidence. They take bumps and they give it. Something we can definitely learn from them.”

The Patriots will open the 2013 regular season on the road against Longwood on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 4 p.m.