UNION, N.J. – Junior attack Valerie Barnhart (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown Area) scored seven goals as the Stevens women's lacrosse team broke open a close game in the second half and earned a 17-8 win over Kean on Wednesday in a Knickerbocker Women's Lacrosse Conference game.

With the win, Stevens improves to 11-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play.  Kean drops to 3-3 and 1-1 in the KWLC.

Kean held an early 4-3 lead following an unassisted goal by freshman Gio Buono with 15:15 left in the first half.  Stevens pulled even on a goal by Barnhart with 13:11 left.  The Ducks then took their first lead, 5-4 on a goal by junior Kim Mirra (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) just 26 seconds later.

Barnhart scored four goals in the first half as the Ducks held a slim 8-6 lead at the break.  Stevens scored three straight goals to open the second half, but Kean received consecutive goals from senior Stefanie Siniscalchi freshman Stephanie Lovallo to pull within 11-8 with 14:56 left in the second half.

Stevens pulled away, scoring six goals in the final eight minutes.  Barnhart scored three while Mirra, junior Rebecca Quinn (Damascus, Md./Damascus) and freshman Theresa Dolan (Albertson, N.Y./Mineola) scored one goal apiece.

Mirra and Quinn scored three goals apiece while Dolan added two goals for Stevens.  Sophomore goalkeeper Melissa Scott (Barnegat, N.J./Southern Regional) stopped four shots in the net for the Ducks.

For the Cougars, Buono scored a team-high four goals while Siniscalchi had two goals and junior Melissa Nunez Lovallo each had a goal.  In the net for Kean, freshman Lydia Pinto made 10 saves.