Sam Apuzzo won’t stay off the board. 

With the first weekend of Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse Season 2 complete, the former Boston College standout has managed to score in every matchup of her AU career. She tallied five goals over the weekend, extending her scoring streak to 18 games.

Apuzzo, a Week 1 captain fresh off winning a gold medal with the U.S. women’s national team, drafted a potent offense — former BC teammate Dempsey Arsenault, Lauren Gilbert and Amanda Johansen made the cut — in addition to a loaded defense featuring former North Carolina stars Taylor Moreno and Emma Trenchard. The dynamic group powered Team Apuzzo to a 3-0 record, and Moreno, Johansen, Apuzzo and Arsenault ended up 1-2-3-4 on the league’s leaderboard.

ROOKIE WATCH

Thursday marked the pro debuts of several recent college stars. Among the rookies, Moreno finished highest atop the leaderboard in first place. She was a force in the cage for Team Apuzzo, recording 10 saves in Saturday’s victory against Team Read — even while facing the likes of attackers Charlotte North and Aurora Cordingley.

Behind Moreno, Lauren Gilbert finished fifth, and second among all rookies. The former Northwestern star was especially dynamic in Team Apuzzo’s victory against Team Glynn, scoring the league’s first goal of the season en route to a game-high four goals.

First half hat trick for Lauren Gilbert? YES PLEASE!#AULax | : ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/Y0f8cgTDSR

— Athletes Unlimited (@AUProSports) July 21, 2022

While Moreno and Gilbert notched the most points, several other rookies had star turns over the weekend. North scored a hat trick in her much-anticipated pro debut, finishing the weekend with seven goals. Attacker Jamie Ortega started strong as well, notched a hat trick in Team Glynn’s Saturday victory against Team Waters.

Trenchard and Courtney Taylor made a case for defenders on the leaderboard, too. Both members of Team Apuzzo, the pair finished 10th and 12th to end Week 1.

TEAM GLYNN’S NAIL-BITERS

Team Glynn certainly knew how to deliver a thriller. Led by goalie Kady Glynn, the team won an 8-7 decision on Saturday against Team Waters. Down 6-3 with just over two minutes left in the second quarter, Team Glynn rallied to win by one goal. The comeback was an all-around effort, featuring four second-half saves from Glynn and six different players scoring in the final 20 minutes.

Sunday’s matchup against Team Read didn’t go quite as smoothly for Team Glynn, but it was an exciting game nonetheless. Down 9-7 late in the fourth quarter, Team Glynn’s Kelsey Huff erased the deficit and forced overtime with a two-point shot. But Team Read prevailed, with Ally Kennedy recording the overtime winner.

Down 2
10 seconds left
ON HER BIRTHDAY

Kelsey. Huff.#BeUnlimited | Fueled by @Gatorade pic.twitter.com/CsDeigYZNg

— Athletes Unlimited (@AUProSports) July 24, 2022

LEADERBOARD

1. Taylor Moreno, G, 581
2. Sam Apuzzo, A, 576
3. Amanda Johansen, M, 467
4. Dempsey Arsenault, M, 451
5. Lauren Gilbert, A, 438
6. Haley Warden, M, 431
7. Nicole Levy, A, 424
8. Lizzie Colson, D, 403
9. Katrina Geiger, D, 379
10. Emma Trenchard, D, 377

WEEK 2 CAPTAINS

After Team Apuzzo’s dominant Week 1, all of Week 2’s captains will come from that team.

Taylor Moreno: Moreno more than held her own in her pro debut over the weekend. A leader in the cage, she was key to Team Apuzzo’s 3-0 weekend. Her Week 1 efforts place her atop the leaderboard, beating out Johansen by just five points.

Amanda Johansen: An MVP on both Saturday and Sunday, Johansen was doing it all for Team Apuzzo. The former USC standout starred on the offensive end, notching hat tricks in two straight games. After missing part of last season due to injury, this marks her first week as a captain during her AU career.

Sam Apuzzo: After finishing third last season, Apuzzo makes a triumphant return to the top of the standings. A crafty attacker who can seemingly score from all angles, Apuzzo will likely continue to dominate the leaderboard this season.

Dempsey Arsenault: A true two-way midfielder, Arsenault excelled all over the field. She tallied three goals, 11 ground balls and four caused turnovers over the weekend. A three-time captain in 2021, Arsenault will once again get to select her own team.