Lyndonville, VT - The Vermont State University Lyndon women's lacrosse team scored the most goals that they have in a game this season but it wasn't nearly enough, as Maine Maritime Academy downed the Hornets, 21-4, in a North Atlantic Conference contest on Saturday morning. The Mariners improved to 7-5 overall and 3-2 in conference while the Hornets remained winless in eight outings, including five NAC affairs.
Maine Maritime started fast, jumping out to a 5-0 lead before the game was five minutes old. Hazel Stoddard found Lillian Diversi and Diversi scored 1:20 into the game to put the Mariners in front. Aubrey Mitchell notched an unassisted score, then Bella Scolaro followed with a free position goal. Diversi scored another quick goal off of a Stoddard feed, then Stoddard found the net herself, and just like that the Mariners had a five goal advantage.
Maachah Krull (Woodsville, NH) got the Hornets on the board when she came around from behind the net and put a shot past Mariner goalie Ella Bowes for her first goal of the season.
The Lyndon momentum was short lived, as Frances Spangler notched a man-up goal at the 7:23 mark, then Stoddard scored unassisted just 11 seconds later. Stoddard and Scolaro each added unassisted goals to run the Mariner advantage to 9-2 with 2:18 to go in the quarter.
Kiara Mack (Winooski, VT) won the ensuing draw. The Hornets went on attack, and Riley Webster (Upton, MA) scored unassisted. Maine Maritime answered with another Diversi goal with just 20 seconds left in the quarter, making the score 10-2, Mariners, after one.
Maine Maritime pushed their lead into double figures in the early minutes of the second quarter when Aubrey Mitchell scored three straight goals, the first on a free position shot, and the next two off of feeds from Scolaro, extending the lead to 13-2 at the 9:25 mark.
After Webster won control on the next draw, the Hornets were able to capitalize, as Webster notched her second goal of the game. However goals from Rebecca Caron and Stoddard sent the teams into halftime with Maine Maritime leading, 15-3.
The pace slowed significantly in the second half, as Maine Maritime protected their lead by using clock on every possession until they found the shot they wanted. Mitchell and Diversi scored man-up goals, then Scolaro and Diversi added even strength goals to extend the Mariner lead to 19-3 through three quarters.
Stoddard's free position goal at the 7:36 mark of the final quarter pushed the Mariner lead to 20-3. Webster then completed the hat trick with her third goal of the game with 4:06 remaining. Spangler then found the net in the final minute to complete the scoring.
Bowes went the distance in goal for Maine Maritime, making three saves on her way to the win. Bridget Denio (Waterford, VT) played the first three quarters for Lyndon, stopping 11 shots but taking the loss. Alyssa Gerrish (Washington, VT) relieved Denio in the final quarter and was credited with one save.
Maine Maritime outshot Lyndon 37-9. The Mariners also had the advantage in draw controls, 19-7, and ground balls, 20-8.
Lyndon returns to action on Sunday afternoon when they host Husson University in another NAC matchup. The opening draw is scheduled for 1:00 pm.
