LYNCHBURG, Va. – No. 8 James Madison lacrosse scored the final seven goals of the game to clinch its sixth-straight victory, a 13-5 triumph at Liberty on Wednesday.

The Dukes improved to 6-1 on the campaign while Liberty fell to 1-4.

Redshirt junior Isabella Peterson scored five goals for her fifth hat trick of the season and added six draw controls, marking game highs for both statistics. Maddie Epke, Tai Jankowski and Lizzy Fox each scored twice, with Epke adding three draw controls, a caused turnover and a ground ball on her birthday. Katelyn Morgan dished out four assists as JMU assisted on 10 of its 13 scores.

The Dukes’ defense allowed its fewest goals of the season and marked its sixth straight game holding opponents to single-digit goals. Mairead Durkin marked a big day in the stat sheet, totaling seven hustle points with four caused turnovers and three ground balls. Kat Buchanan made another six saves on a .545 save percentage, adding three ground balls.

For the Flames, Jordan Shieve scored a pair of goals while goalkeeper Mara Tellers made 11 saves.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter – James Madison 2, Liberty 2
Both JMU goals were scored from the free position, courtesy of Peterson and Epke. Epke’s goal came with two seconds to play in the period. JMU grabbed seven ground balls in the quarter.

Second Quarter – James Madison 5, Liberty 4
Peterson and Epke gave JMU its biggest lead of the half at 4-2 before the Flames responded with a pair to tie things at four. Fox’s tally at 2:41 retook the lead going into the break.

Third Quarter – James Madison 10, Liberty 5
With the Dukes up 6-5, JMU scored four straight in 5:34 to extend the lead to five, with both Jankowski and Peterson supplying a pair of goals in the run. JMU dominated the draw, 6-2.

Fourth Quarter – James Madison 13, Liberty 5
After a scoreless 11:47, three different Dukes scored in a span of 2:10 to cap the scoring. The Dukes controlled all four draws and committed just two fouls compared to 10 for Liberty.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• The 6-1 start is JMU’s best seven-game record since 2019.

• Epke’s second-quarter goal was assisted by Buchanan off a clearing pass, marking the first assist for a JMU goalkeeper since Schylar Healy on March 28, 2014.

• JMU doubled up Liberty on the shot clock, 36-18. Liberty only managed four shots total in the second half.

• Liberty failed on five clears, the most for a JMU opponent this season.

• Peterson reached five goals for the 16th time in her career.

UP NEXT
The Dukes are back home for the next three games, beginning with a battle against No. 23 Johns Hopkins on Saturday at noon. Saturday’s game will feature a five-year celebration and recognition of the 2018 National Championship team.

— JMU Athletics —