Box Score MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – Playing in her first game with the Seahawks, junior Jennifer Jones (Basking Ridge, N.J.) scored five goals to lead the Salve Regina University women's lacrosse team to an exciting 14-13 victory during its season opener versus Eastern Connecticut State University at Gaudet Field on Tuesday evening. With the win, the Seahawks are off to a 1-0 start on the year, while the Warriors fall to an even 1-1 on the young season.
Jones led the Seahawks with five goals on 10 shots, while junior Kelly Burke (Georgetown, Mass.) compiled five points on three goals and two assists, in addition to grabbing a team-high six draw controls. Senior Sarah Livingston (Westford, Mass.) also played well, netting four goals in the win, while junior Danielle Malconian (Belmont, Mass.) led all players with seven ground balls. Sophomores Grace Kelly (Auburn, N.Y.) and Alyssa Corvi (Barrington, R.I.) rounded-out the scoring for Salve Regina, scoring one goal each, while fellow sophomore Josie O'Reilly (Middletown, R.I.) made eight saves to earn the victory in net.
Senior Nicole Shusdock (Norwalk, Conn.) and sophomore Erin Conn (Moriches, N.Y.) paced the Warriors with five and four goals, respectively, while junior Daniela Marchitto (Orange, Conn.) added four points on two goals and a pair of helpers. Senior goalie Kristianna Ibsen (Shelton, Conn.) took the loss in net despite making a game-high nine saves on the evening.
The Warriors immediately jumped out to a 1-0 lead, as Shusdock raced down field off the draw and scored the game's first goal after just 25 seconds of play.
The Seahawks responded with a pair of unassisted goals to grab a 2-1 advantage, receiving one score each from Burke and Livingston.
ECSU's Alexa Foldy (Brookfield, Conn.) scored with 23:29 on the clock to tie the score at two, before Marchitto reclaimed the lead for the Warriors, 3-2, with an unassisted marker just over three minutes later.
Salve Regina answered by scoring seven of the next eight goals, including a stretch of four unanswered tallies, to build a 9-4 lead with just over seven and a half minutes remaining in the opening half. Jones and Livingston each scored a pair of goals during the run, while Burke, Kelly, and Corvi each added one goal apiece.
Still trailing by five with under four and a half minutes left in the period, the Warriors rallied to score four unanswered goals, including three by Shusdock, to head into halftime trailing just 9-8.
In the second half, the Warriors picked up right where they left off, scoring the opening two goals of the period to bring the run to a total of six unanswered goals, grabbing a 10-9 lead in the process.
The Seahawks regrouped and bounced back with three consecutive scores, getting goals from Livingston, Burke, and Jones to reclaim the lead 12-10.
After a scoreless stretch that lasted nearly seven minutes, Erin Conn netted an unassisted goal to bring the Warriors back within one score with 11:58 remaining in the half.
Following a Salve Regina timeout, Kelly Burke set up Jones for a score to put SRU back up by two, 13-11.
Conn brought the Warriors right back within one on an unassisted goal, but was once again matched by Jones, who put the Seahawks back up by two, 14-12, with just under eight minutes left.
Marchitto scored on a clutch free position shot with only 3:41 remaining in the period to bring the Warriors back within one goal of the lead, setting up a terrific finish.
Conn won the ensuing draw control for ECSU, raced down field and put a strong shot on net that was turned aside by a huge save from SRU netminder Josie O'Reilly.
Conn was whistled for a yellow card on the play, giving the Seahawks a man-up advantage the rest of the way and allowing them to run out the clock and seal the thrilling 14-13 victory.
The Warriors will return to the field on Thursday when they travel to face Roger Williams at 4 p.m., while the Seahawks will be back in action on Saturday, hitting the road to battle UMass Dartmouth at 1 p.m.
