Cambridge University Mixed Lacrosse Club (CUMLC) continued their unbeaten season and cemented their place at the top of the league table with a hard-fought, 16-13 victory against Southampton Sharks on Sunday.

Cambridge just edged the sides' meeting last term by a 14-13 scoreline. The return was a big fixture: this time round, the victor would almost certainly win the league.

Cambridge started slowly, as Southampton dominated the draw and scored several goals in quick succession. They looked sharper and more focused than the Light Blues. However, once Cambridge’s nerves began to settle, their all-round play improved. The Cambridge defence applied more pressure, forcing Southampton's attackers into errors, and Cambridge launched several counter-attacks which the opposition found difficult to cope with. By half time, Cambridge led by a slim two-goal margin, but the game was far from over.

As expected, Southampton came back fighting in the second half. However, the Light Blues were disciplined in defence and creative in attack, hustling for every ground ball and transitioning well down the pitch. Cambridge began to build momentum, and Charlie Douty scored several impressive solo goals in a period of dominance. The Southampton defence looked flustered, giving away several penalty shots, though they regrouped well to add to their own scoreline and keep the deficit down to only three goals.

The end of the fourth quarter was a nervous affair, as Southampton responded to Cambridge’s controlled play with several quick goals of their own. However, in the final two minutes, Cambridge held onto their (by then) three goal lead, protecting the ball and keeping possession. The final whistle was greeted by cheers and celebrations from the Light Blue squad and supporters; Cambridge now sit atop the league table with only two matches left to play, as well as the Varsity fixture on March 1st.