It isn't often a freshman athlete makes such an indelible mark so soon. Meet Michelle Dejuliis. In her first game on the women's lacrosse team, the freshman attacker scored six goals including the overtime game-winner.

After an impressive showing in exhibition games at the William and Mary Tournament last weekend, the No. 4 Lady Lions opened their season with a 12-11 overtime victory against Richmond last Wednesday in Virginia, giving Coach Julie Williams her 50th career victory.

"I was psyched," Dejuliis said. "It was so close."

The contest was quite a contrast from last year's slaughter, when Penn State prevailed 13-4.

"That was sort of a scare," junior attacker Suzanne Weinberg said. "I think maybe we underestimated Richmond. I'm not sure if it was a lack of experience, or what it was . . . it was a surprise, but a win is a win."

The Lady Lions were down early in the match but went up 5-3 at the half. They then saw an 8-3 lead disappear into a 9-8 Richmond advantage. The two teams fought to a 10-10 deadlock to end regulation.

"They made an incredible run -- six unanswered goals," Dejuliis said. "It was so intense."

The teams played two three-minute halves. The Lady Lions scored twice in the first overtime half, Dejuliis netting the winning goal. Richmond's Jen Conner scored one in the second to end the match.

"Going into the second one, all we really needed to do was hold the ball," Weinberg said. "Somehow they scored. (Richmond) ended up having like a zillion free-position shots on Patty (Kloidt)."

Attackers Kara Stockett and Christy Way each had 2 goals, with defenders Jill Pearsall and Shauna Williams adding one each.

"I probably would have said before the Richmond game that our defense would have been our strongest point," Weinberg said. "But I think our offense did really well."

The Lady Lions played nine games in two days last weekend at William and Mary, losing only twice, both times to the national team. It was a result Weinberg called "expected." Among the Lady Lions' victims were Harvard, Vermont and Georgetown.

"By the end we totally came together," Weinberg said. "The first day we played (the U.S. team) we didn't do very well. The second day we played them we lost, but we got a lot of confidence."