If the top-ranked McDonogh girls lacrosse team was looking for a challenge, it certainly appeared to find one smack in front of its face Saturday.
Just two days after losing arguably their top player to an injury, the Eagles had to take the field to face a team from Virginia that many believed would present their stiffest competition this season.
As the consensus No. 1 team in the nation showed, however, there may be no challenge too steep.
Despite playing without first-team All-Metro midfielder and Duke-signee Olivia Jenner, host McDonogh made easy work of Bishop Ireton of Alexandria, Va., the nation's No. 2-ranked team in the latest Nike/Lacrosse Magazine High School Top 25, in a 14-4 win that ran its national-record winning streak to 123 games.
Led by midfielders Elizabeth George (four goals, two assists) and Andie Aldave (three goals), the Eagles (11-0) scored 11 of the game's first 13 goals and twice held the Cardinals (8-1) scoreless for periods of nearly 20 minutes.
And that was without Jenner, their leader in scoring, ground balls and draw controls, who suffered a third-degree ankle sprain Thursday against St. Paul's. Coach Chris Robinson said she is expected to be sidelined two-to-three weeks.
"You're losing the engine in your car, but the other kids … had a phenomenal day in the midfield," Robinson said. "A lot of kids would come out and play scared. Our kids embraced the opportunity, and that was really cool to see. They went out there on a national stage and played such a great team and [did] it."
McDonogh did the bulk of its offensive damage by using its speed to drive toward the goal and draw fouls. They converted on seven free positions.
The Eagles, led by midfielder Savannah Buchanan, also helped make up for Jenner's absence by winning 11 of 20 draw controls.
"With Liv being out, we really had to pick up the focus on the draw a little bit, and I think we did a really great job of that today," Buchanan said. "She's a great player and a great team leader, and I really just felt I needed to step up for her. I went into this game and said, 'If there's one thing I do well today, I want to make sure I get the draws.'"
Defensively, McDonogh did a masterful job of face-guarding North Carolina-signee Charlotte Sofield, the defending Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Player of the Year. The senior finished without a goal or assist, as the Cardinals were held 11 goals below their season average.
"We've got to do a better job in our shot selection … we just weren't finishing," Bishop Ireton coach Rick Sofield said. "If you finish in those situations, we get a little bit of momentum and maybe it's a different game."
McDonogh never led by fewer than seven in the second half. Up by 10 with 7:29 left, the Eagles all but sealed the win when the Cardinals drew their fourth yellow card of the game, forcing them to play short-handed the rest of the way.
After pulling out a series of close wins in recent weeks against the likes of Bryn Mawr, Roland Park, John Carroll and St. Paul's, McDonogh finally found the all-around performance it had been searching for.
"I think our kids really rose to the occasion," Robinson said. "We, over the past couple weeks, have not played our best lacrosse. I don't know if it was the adversity we were facing with Liv being out and us playing the No. 2 team in the country. … Whatever it was, our kids rose up and played their best game."
Girls lacrosse
McDonogh 14, Bishop Ireton (Va.) 4
Goals: BI-Larkin 2, Marshall, Wallace; M- George 4, Aldave 3, Buchanan 2, May, M. Jenner, Hoffman, Griffin, Cummings. Assists: BI-Duperrouzel; M-George 2, May 2.
Saves: BI-Cole 6; M-Cadoux 6. Half: McDonogh, 9-2.