Today: Mar 28, 2024

Lacrosse Wins Home Opener

Matt GadSports Writer

Southern Women’s Lacrosse won their home opener March 28, defeating American International College, 14-10, at Jess Dow Field. It was also the first home game for Interim Head Coach Betsy Vendel, who served as an assistant before Maureen Spellman took the Endicott job.

“The team was very disciplined through the first and second half and played a top to bottom game,” Vendel said. “It’s definitely important when we adjust things and they stay true to the game plan.”

Snapping a three-game losing streak where the team fell to Saint Anselm, Pace and Stonehill, getting outscored 30-56, the Owls keyed on goals from senior Nicole Healey, who scored a hat trick, freshman Hailey Gordon, senior Taylor Portelinha, senior co-captain Hailey Prindle-Nelson, junior Samantha Cozzolino, freshman Stephanie Seymour and senior co-captain Carolynn Keal.

Gordon, Portelinha, Prindle-Nelson, Cozzolino and Seymour all scored twice, while Keal netted in one goal. Through nine games, Healey has 34 goals, seven assists and 41 points.

“Last game we played Stonehill and lost by four so to come out here and win by four was pretty nice,” Healey said. “I feel good and I think today was a good team win. Everyone really contributed on offense and defensively we played as a unit.”

Last year the Owls went 4-12 and the year before that the team was 4-13. At 3-6 as of April 2, the team has a chance to reach at least five wins for the first time in more than 10 seasons.

“They did a phenomenal job and this is our second conference win. We’re on the right track for sure,” Vendel said. “It’s still early [in the season].”

The Owls’ only non-conference win in their 2018 campaign so far came on their Colorado trip. In Colorado Springs, Colo. March 14, they defeated the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, 17-16, a day after beating conference foe Saint Michael’s College, 14-13.

Yesterday, the team took on Adelphi in Garden City, New York April 7 and April 11, they return home for Bentley and Le Moyne College before heading to Southern New Hampshire University, in Manchester, New Hampshire on the 13th. Their final two home games come April 17 and April 21 against the University of New Haven and Merrimack, respectively.

“All around we looked good after what we had been playing like,” Healey said. “We’re just trying to take what we did today and prepare for the next one.”

Out of 16 games this year, the Owls are only home five times. Last year they played the same amount of games but were home on 11 occasions. In those games, they played to a 3-7 record and struggled in the NE10, hitting a 2-11 clip.

This year’s NE10 Women’s Lacrosse Tournament is scheduled to begin May 2. In the 2017 edition, Adelphi was the number one seed, followed by Le Moyne, Bentley, New Haven, Southern New Hampshire, Stonehill, American International and Pace.

Photo Courtesy: southernctowls.com

 

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