Freshman Erinn Hopkins led the Ducks with three goals in the game.

UNION, N.J.  (April 5, 2006)  -  The Stevens Institute of Technology women’s lacrosse team netted four straight goals within an 8:40 span late in the second half as it defeated Kean University, 8-5, on Wednesday afternoon in Union, N.J.  With the win, the Ducks improve to 3-6 overall and even their conference record to 2-2.  The Cougars drop to 3-5 and 0-1 in the league with the loss.

With the Ducks leading 4-3 after intermission, sophomore attack Tara Nardella (Old Bridge, N.J.) tied the score at 4-4 for the final time of the night.  Freshman attack Dana Perriello (Pittsburgh, Pa.) gave the Ducks a 5-4 lead with 13:40 remaining on the clock.  Sophomore attack Kaitlyn Roes (Stillwater N.J.) gave Stevens a two-goal cushion for the first time in the game when she scored off a pass from sophomore attack Joanna Sweetgall (Allendale, N.J.).  Senior attack Mary Schurgot (Barnegat, N.J.) scored on a free-position shot with 6:06 to play, and freshman midfielder Erinn Hopkins (Monrovia, Md.) netted her third goal to put the game out of reach. 

The Ducks and Cougars traded goals throughout the first half with neither team leading by more than one.  Kean opened up the scoring just four minutes into the game, but Schurgot answered back just over six minutes later on a pass from Roes to knot the game at 1-apiece.  Roes earned her second assist of the game when she fed Perriello to give the Ducks a 2-1 advantage.  However, junior attack Gio Buono (Plainsboro, N.J.) connected on her second goal to tie the score.  Hopkins put the Ducks back on top off a free-position shot at the 13:06 mark, but Buono responded with her third goal to even the score at 3-all.  Hopkins added her second goal of the day to give the Ducks a 4-3 halftime advantage.

Sophomore Stephanie Linder (Eatontown, N.J.) made six saves in goal for the Ducks.  Stevens out-shot Kean 20-17 and grabbed nine draw controls in the game.

Stevens is back in action on Sunday, when it hosts The College of New Jersey at 1 p.m. at DeBaun Field.