NEWS

 

This past weekend the Davidson Lacrosse team opened their 2024 season on the road at Clemson.

And while the Wildcats’ season is likely to be remembered for the fact that this will be their first in the new Davidson College Stadium, there is a reason to remember that first game against the Tigers.

Less than two minutes into the match, the Wildcats pulled off the improbable. After the Tigers won the opening draw, Wildcat goalie Paige Doyal stopped Clemson’s first scoring attempt. And with that, the ‘Cats moved down the field. And after using up all but one second on the 90-second shot clock, Junior Payton Cheedle put one between the pipes.

In doing so, Cheedle made history. It wasn’t because of the number of points she has scored in her career, it was because she earned the honor of scoring the first goal in the Clemson Tiger’s new stadium. The stadium is the only one of its kind. The following is from the Tiger’s website:

Clemson is now the only school in the country with a facility solely dedicated to Women’s lacrosse. Their new facilities feature a stadium with 1,000 bleacher seats and artificial turf, as well as a 9,000-square-foot operations complex that includes coaches offices, locker rooms, player lounge, nutrition center, team meeting room and an athletic training room.

Clemson may have won the game, but they forever lost the opportunity to score the first goal on the home turf – the only dedicated women’s lacrosse stadium in the United States. That honor forever goes to Davidson Wildcat Payton Cheedle.

Go Wildcats!