The 2005 season got off to an inauspicious start for the Muhlenberg women’s lacrosse team. After the Mules’ lone scrimmage and first

Carlstrand finished her career second in team history in assists (41) and sixth in points (135). In her last game, she scored a career-best eight points with four goals and four assists in an 18-2 win against Centenary.

scheduled game were both snowed out, they had to open up against nationally ranked Franklin & Marshall, the eventual Centennial Conference regular-season champion. Following a loss in that game, the next contest was snowed out too.

But once Muhlenberg got rolling, it really got rolling, tying a school record with eight wins. The Mules finished with an 8-7 record, making the four-member senior class the winningest in program history with 25 career wins.

In the Centennial Conference, Muhlenberg won back-to-back road games against Washington and Bryn Mawr, both by 10 goals, to run its record to 2-1, but home losses to Haverford and Dickinson (in overtime) prevented the Mules from reaching the playoffs.

Although the team scored 179 goals, second-most in program history, it was at its best when the defense was on. Muhlenberg held its opponent to

The vocal leader of the defense, senior Allison Marman picked up a career-high 27 ground balls and tied for second on the team with 13 caused turnovers.

single digits in goals in seven of its eight wins, including an 18-0 whitewash of Chestnut Hill – the Mules’ first shutout ever.

Senior Diana Bleakley, the last line of the defense, became the program’s all-time saves leader in a 17-7 win at Washington. She finished with 669 stops (sixth in CC history) and ranked third in Muhlenberg annals with a career goals-against average of 11.83. Bleakley recorded her sixth career 20-save game with 22 against Swarthmore and was named to the All-CC first team.

The Mules’ other first-team selection, junior Courtney Tapkas, also made her mark on the record book, breaking school marks for career points (198) and goals (167). Tapkas led the CC in points per game (4.27) and was named to the All-Metro Region second team and ECAC South All-Star Team. She had 51 goals and 64 points, second in both categories to the school records she set in 2003.

Senior Christa Carlstrand and junior Shannon Donohue each scored 31 goals and eclipsed the 100-point mark during the season. Carlstrand added 19 assists, tying for the second-most in team history. Sophomore Elizabeth Alexander topped the squad in ground balls (45) and caused turnovers (21) and was second in draw controls (23).