When the final whistle blew at Richmond’s Robins Stadium on Friday, the Spiders’ sideline erupted — and breathed a side of relief.

“Until the clock hit zero, we were game on,” graduate attacker Nicole Concannon said. “We were only up by one … So to be on the field and see the team storming, that was a really special moment.”

Richmond took down then-No. 16 Stanford in a nerve-wracking win on Friday, bursting onto the national scene and earning their spot as No. 17 in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Top 20. The Spiders survived a late comeback attempt by the Cardinal en route to their first ranked victory of the year.

Coach Anne Harrington said the Spiders have prioritized playing as a “full unit” this season, supporting each other on all ends of the field and being good teammates.

This mentality was on full display during Friday’s dynamic victory. The Spiders were clicking all over the field, from Concannon lighting up on attack to graduate goalkeeper Delaney Galvin leading on defense. This cohesion was an important part of the win, Concannon said.

“It wasn’t really an offensive day,” Concannon said. “It wasn’t a defensive day. From top to bottom to the sideline, it was 100 percent effort and heart and passion, which we needed in order to beat a team like Stanford. It wasn’t one person’s job. It wasn’t one person’s amazing day. It was a full team effort of 60 minutes of lacrosse.”

Concannon tallied four goals, headlining a well-rounded Richmond attack. Beyond her efforts, seven other players scored and six chipped in assists to keep the Spiders in it. Richmond focused on taking it “one possession at a time,” Concannon said, which kept them in the moment and helped the team stay collected.

Galvin anchored the defensive end, notching 13 saves — including eight in the first half alone. A transfer from Marist, Harrington said Galvin has brought “great energy” and a positive outlook to Richmond.

A group of veteran players worked alongside her to defend the cage. Senior defender Brittney Wright had a banner day, recording four caused turnovers and three ground balls. Juniors midfielder Sophia DiCenso and attacker Arden Tierney also played key roles, each notching two caused turnovers and two ground balls. Their efforts kept Stanford’s powerful offense to just 10 goals and held 2021 Pac-12 Attacker of the Year Ali Baiocco scoreless.

The Spiders’ composed performance buoyed them through a would-be Stanford comeback in the fourth quarter. The Cardinal scored two straight with about one minute left in the second half. After the second goal, Stanford won the draw, but a caused turnover by DiCenso with just 29 seconds left ensured Richmond’s victory.

“Stanford did a really great job of coming back and kept everyone in the stands entertained for the last couple minutes of that game,” Harrington said. “We were ready for that. I was so proud of how the team dug in and still found a way to get the win.”

Concannon said the Spiders are excited about their 4-0 start, but they recognize it’s just the beginning of a long season to come.

Harrington agreed, saying that Richmond is trying to take things one game at a time.

“We are definitely enjoying each win, and I want to make sure the team is celebrating that,” Harrington said. “But then, 24 hours later, [we’re] resetting and refocusing for that next game.”

Regardless of what lies ahead for the Spiders, one thing is for sure: they won’t forget the feeling of beating Stanford.

“You look around, you’re in the beautiful Robins Stadium on a sunny day,” Concannon said. “You just beat a ranked opponent and you’re smiling, celebrating with your team. At the end of the game, coach said to us, ‘These are the moments you live for.’ [It’s] definitely a moment I’ll never forget.”