The St. John Fisher College women’s lacrosse team officially has its sights set on the Empire 8 Conference Championship after extending their win streak to six games following victories over Alfred University on April 11 and Ithaca College on April 14.

After not competing in the Empire 8 conference for the past two years, Alfred hosted the Lady Cardinals on April 11. Fisher was able to get some valuable in-game experience working on passing and other areas of their game by handing Alfred a 13-2 loss. Head coach Shannon McHale said that the victory came with “great veteran leadership.”

Backing up her coach’s words, senior attackman Haley Koperski scored three goals in the Cardinals’ victory at Merrill Field.Senior Theresa Nobilski also added three goals to propel the Cardinals to the win. Senior Laurie Quackenbush added three points, scoring one goal and adding two assists. The Cardinals heightened their confidence with solid performances coming from all areas of the team.

Moving the ball was another aspect of their game that the Cardinals were able to work on as Alfred failed to keep up with Fisher throughout most of the game. The Cardinals outshot the Saxons 17-6 and led 9-1 at the half.

Fisher also used a trio of goaltenders in the victory. Sophomore Danielle Murphy, along with freshmen Vicky Sahm and Haley Hartmans tended the goal for Fisher. In a combined effort, the three goalies stopped all four of Alfred’s shots in the game.

The victory served as a confidence booster for the Cardinals heading into their game on April 14 when they squared off against Ithaca College.

In what was described as a total team effort by McHale, the Cardinals cruised to a 13-9 victory against the Bombers, extending their win streak to six games. The victory also extended their undefeated streak in the Empire 8 conference. With passing as another key to victory, the team was also able to move the ball well throughout the entire game.

With an 8-6 halftime lead, Quackenbush elevated her play for the Cardinals, scoring five goals to seal the team’s victory in the second half.

“She’s a more complete player now who has really improved in all aspects of her game,” McHale said following the victory.

Defender Ramona Walters also played well in the solid team performance, contributing to Fisher’s quest for perfection in the Empire 8 Conference. With only two conference games left on their schedule, the Cardinals are two steps closer to the conference championship game. Home games against Nazareth College and RIT are the only remaining tests for Fisher.

With the best start in their history, the Cardinals will play host to Nazareth College on April 20 at Growney Stadium. The Fisher-Naz rivalry comes just at the right time for the Cardinals, as bragging rights in Pittsford, N.Y., will be hanging in the balance.

The Cardinals are now an impressive 9-2 on the year with a 5-0 conference record. With the team racking up two more wins this past week, they are now focused and determined to bring home an Empire 8 Conference championship.