EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — The ESU women's lacrosse team began its season with two wins against two ranked opponents, defeating No. 23 Bentley 16-6 on Saturday afternoon.
NOTABLES
- Sadie Kauffman alone outscored Bentley on Saturday, netting eight goals on 10 shots on goal. The sophomore broke her previous career-high of seven, which she set in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Frostburg State.
- Jolee Roth was ESU's second-leading scorer, scoring twice and dishing out three assists for five points. Roth cashed in on both of her shots on goal.
- Ariana Tucci and Lauren Hallman each scored two goals as well for the Warriors. Tucci added a draw control, while Hallman scored the lone tally for ESU off a free position attempt.
- Abby Simonetti earned the win for ESU playing about two thirds of the game. The goalkeeper made seven stops while only allowing two goals.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The first half was all Kauffman, as she scored all eight of her goals in the opening 30 minutes. She wasted no time getting the scoring started, recording an unassisted tally 30 seconds into the game. Tucci, Hallman, and Roth all scored once each in the first 10 minutes, putting ESU ahead 4-0. The Warriors continued to pour it on in the final five minutes of the opening frame, essentially putting the game out of reach early. Kauffman ended the quarter with five goals, while Tucci added her second of the game to make it 9-0.
- Kauffman didn't miss a beat as play carried over into the second quarter, scoring the first two goals for ESU in the first four minutes. Bentley got on the board with back-to-back goals from Julia Schreiber and Caroline Jadul, but ESU got those tallies back before half thanks to Kauffman's eighth and Roth's second, leading 13-2 at the break.
- The second half was low-scoring for the Warriors, as they led by a comfortable margin and only added three goals. Katie Bullen scored her fourth career goal in the opening minute of the half, and Molly Atwell turned a draw control into a goal by Paige Moreland shortly after. Lauren Hallman added the final goal for ESU, and Madison McBride finished the game in net with five saves on nine shots on goal.
GAME NOTES
- Roth officially moved into the top 10 in program history for career assists, moving up to eighth place with 69.
UP NEXT
ESU has two games this week; one on the road and one back at home. The Warriors travel to Indiana (Pa.) to take on the Crimson Hawks at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25, and are back at Whitenight Field to host Georgian Court at noon on Saturday, Feb. 28.
