HOBOKEN, N.J. (March 1, 2008) – Senior attacker Liz Mather recorded a game-high eight points (two goals, six assists) on Saturday morning to lift the Stevens Institute of Technology women's lacrosse team to an 18-8 win over Empire 8 foe Utica College in the season-opener for both teams. She also put a pair of shots on goal and was 1-for-1 on free-position attempts.
Freshman attacker Leah Wasserman totaled seven points off a game-high four goals and three assists. Sophomore attacker Alyssa Pigott also registered four goals on four shots on goal along with six ground balls. In addition, Pigott won three draw controls, which led the Ducks (1-0, 1-0 Empire 8).
Freshman midfielder Christine Smith tallied two goals in her first collegiate game. Senior midfielder Kaitlyn Roes and sophomore midfielder Fionuala Quinn each notched a marker as well.
The Pioneers (0-1, 0-1 Empire 8) were headed up by senior attacker Casey Pelletier (Middletown, Conn.), who had five points off two goals and three assists. Freshman attacker Lily Fleskes (Dover, Mass.) posted a three-goal day, while freshman midfielder Tammy Kohanski (Syracuse, N.Y.) added a pair of tallies and an assist.
Knotted up at 1-1 with just over 29 minutes to go in the first half, Stevens put up seven unanswered scores on the board to go ahead by an 8-1 score with 17:57 remaining. Pigott earned two markers in that span. Junior attacker Dana Perriello and sophomore attacker Katie Lalli noted a goal each.
Following a pair of tallies from the two teams, Roes and Wasserman put an attempt past Utica freshman keeper Rebecca Beyer (Titusville, N.J.) to take a 12-3 lead into the locker room.
In the latter stanza, the Pioneers were able to get five shots underneath junior goalie Grace Sack but it wouldn't help as the Ducks amassed six goals in the period. One of those six tallies was the first marker for freshman midfielder Pamela Loria, who scored with 18:13 left.
Stevens senior goaltender Stephanie Linder stopped a game-high eight shots, while Beyer and George combined to make six saves for Utica.
The Ducks held a 34-23 advantage in shots and a 17-12 edge in ground balls. Each squad won 12 draw controls. Stevens converted on 58.8 percent (10-for-17) of its clearing attempts. Utica was 5-for-9 (55.5 percent) on clears. In free-position shots, the Pioneers were 0-of-1, while the Ducks found the back of the net three times out of five.
Stevens returns to action tomorrow when they travel to Farmingdale, N.Y. for a 1 p.m. opening draw at SUNY Farmingdale.
