Lindsay Hamann |
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – Outshooting St. Francis (Pa.) 33-14 in the game, the Niagara University women’s lacrosse team earned a 9-6 victory in their first game of the 2005 season, played at Demske Field on the campus of Canisius Friday.
Five different Purple Eagles tallied the first six goals of the game to give the team a commanding lead. Senior Ashley Baker (Henrietta, N.Y.), who led Niagara with 50 points last season, picked up right where she left off, scoring the game’s first goal just 1:42 into the contest.
Baker then assisted freshman Emma-Lee Harrison (Lakefield, Ont.) on her first career goal, scored at the 24:43 mark. Harrison tallied an unassisted goal less than six minutes later to give the Purple Eagles the 3-0 lead.
Sophomore Lindsay Hamann (Camillus, N.Y.) scored the 18th marker of her career, with freshman Katie Gates (Penn Yan, N.Y.) earning her first career assist on the goal.Senior Rachel Jones (Tonawanda, N.Y.), who tied for the team lead last season with 24 goals, registered her first of the season at 15:58, before fellow senior Marissa Muldoon (Auburn, N.Y.) notched an unassisted goal at 7:49 of the first half.
St. Francis got on the board with exactly seven minutes remaining in the half and scored again at the 4:52 mark.
Jones scored with an assist from Muldoon 2:56 before halftime, giving Niagara the 7-2 lead at the break.
Jones tallied her game-high third goal just 49 seconds into the second half and sophomore Liz Johnson (Cortland, N.Y.), playing in her first collegiate game, tallied a goal at 19:48 of the second half.
St. Francis recorded three goals within the span of 1:19, but could not score again past the 8:11 mark.
Freshman goaltender Whitney Gill (Canandaigua, N.Y.) earned the win for Niagara, making five saves in 56:16.
Niagara returns to action tomorrow, playing Long Island University at Demske Field. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
