BUFFALO, N.Y. – Junior Emma-Lee Harrison (Lakefield, Ont.) scored four goals to help the Niagara University lacrosse team (1-2) win its first game of the season with a 12-2 victory over St. Francis (Pa.) (0-2) Sunday afternoon at the Demske Sports Complex at Canisius College.

Sophomore Vanessa Schultz (Clarence, N.Y./Clarence) had two goals and an assist coming off the bench, and senior Lindsay Hamann (Camillus, N.Y.) and freshman Courtney Formato (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) both netted a pair of goals.

Formato opened the scoring for the Purple Eagles, scoring 26 seconds into the game. Rookie Allison Valerio (Geneva, N.Y.) picked her first of two assists on the play.

Harrison then gave Niagara a 4-0 lead at 15:23 when she scored three goals, including two on break aways. Valerio had her second assist on Harrison’s second goal.

Hamann and Schultz pushed the Purple Eagles’ lead to 6-0 with 8:04 left in the first half.

St. Francis’ Jenna Jester scored at the 25:26 mark of the second period to make it 6-1, but Formato and fellow freshman Christina Jablonski (Troy, Mich.) made it 8-1 with 22:50 left.

Harrison took a feed from Schultz for her fourth goal before Valerio, Schultz and Hamann scored unassisted goals for a 12-1 lead.

Jester scored with a second left on the clock to close the Red Flashes’ scoring.

Senior Kristin Engel (Plainview, N.Y.) picked up the win in net, making 11 saves. Samantha Morgan took the loss, making 12 saves.

Niagara returns to action March 25 when it hosts the University of Albany at 1 p.m.