The Oglethorpe women's lacrosse team shook off the demons of last year's winless season in a big way Thursday night, cruising past Hanover, 18-3, at the Oglethorpe Track and Field for their first victory since April 13, 2012.

The Stormy Petrels took it to the visiting Panthers from the opening whistle and never let up. They scored three goals over the game's first two minutes to take a very quick 3-0 lead. Then, after Hanover got a goal back to cut the Petrel advantage to 3-1, the home side pushed their lead out to six goals before the Panthers could score again and the Petrels finished the first half with five consecutive goals to lead by 11 at the break. They cruised home in the second half, outscoring the Panthers 6-0.

Junior midfielders Michelle Vasques and Sydney Sparks tallied six goals apiece on the evening. Both put eight shots on goal with Vasques taking nine shots overall and Sparks taking 12. Vasques had an excellent all-around night, scooping up seven ground balls, winning seven draw controls, and causing four Hanover turnovers. Sparks won seven draw controls and caused four turnovers of her own while scooping four ground balls. Sophomore attacker Kellen Flatt also put forth an excellent effort for the Petrels, scoring four goals and dishing out a pair of assists. Flatt put all six of her shots on target. Senior midfielder Juliana Altman racked up a game-high three assists and scooped six ground balls of her own. Freshman goalie Chantel Jones secured her first career victory, stopping five Hanover shots.

The Petrels dominated the game statistically, outshooting Hanover 39-11, including 31-8 on goal. They secured 18 draw controls to the Panthers' five, scooped 28 ground balls to Hanover's 17, were 5-for-13 on free-position shots, and committed just eight fouls to Hanover's 23. The Petrels also forced 30 Hanover turnovers and were 5-for-11 on clear attempts while holding their opponents to a 3-for-22 mark in that category.

The Petrels got back-to-back-to-back goals from Sparks, Vasques and Altman over the contest's first two minutes, jumping out to a 3-0 lead immediately. After a Hanover goal at the 23-minute mark of the first half, the Petrels ran off four straight goals over the following six minutes and had a 7-1 edge with 13:11 left in the first half. The Panthers scored back-to-back goals to cut the Oglethorpe advantage to four, 7-3, with 10:07 left in the first, but the Petrels finished the half with five straight tallies to build a 12-3 lead going into the halftime break.

In the second half, the Petrels continued to pour it on. They outscored the Panthers 6-0 over the course of the period, getting two more goals from Vasques and Flatt, and a goal each from Sparks and junior midfielder Tate Davis to build their lead to its final margin of 15 goals.

"I am so proud of the progress we've made in such a short time," said Head Coach Marissa Giannerini. "The girls were incredibly focused coming off our first game to make corrections, indentify the breakdowns and not make the same mistakes. We spent time watching film and zeroed in on specific skill sets we needed to develop. They executed what they learned and played as a unit. Most importantly, they had fun, and that is what this is all about. It is exciting to watch their determination and they deserve this win after all the hard work they have put in. I can't wait to get back on the field."

After the victory over the Hanover team, which was playing its inaugural women's lacrosse game, the Petrels move to 1-1 on the season. They'll get back into SAA competition next week when they welcome Berry to the Oglethorpe Track and Field at 7 p.m. Wednesday night.