UTICA, N.Y. (April 1, 2011) – Seniors Pamela Loria and Christine Smith and junior Michelle Buonacuore all tallied four points to lead the ninth-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology women’s lacrosse team to an 11-6 win over Utica College in the Empire 8 opener for both schools on Friday afternoon at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium in Utica, N.Y. With the win, Stevens improves to 6-2 on the season.
Stevens ended the contest with a 38-12 advantage in shots and a 17-8 edge in ground balls. Utica’s junior goalkeeper Shelby Barbay (Waterloo, N.Y.) almost singlehandedly kept the Pioneers in the game, recording 21 saves. Stevens also controlled 13-of-19 draw controls and connected of four of its 12 free-position attempts.
The Pioneers’ six goals came from senior Tammy Kohanski (Syracuse, N.Y.) and Julianne Schultheiss (Commack, N.Y.). Kohanski had three tallies and a pair of assists and Schultheiss scored three goals. In addition to her 21 saves, Barbay scooped up a team-high three ground balls.
Loria and Smith each had three goals and an assist, while Buonacuore had two of each. Smith added four draw controls and a caused turnover to her line, while Loria had two ground balls, two draw controls, and a caused turnover. Junior Jenna Scheibling had two goals, and sophomore Spencer Waybright had a marker, two draw controls, and a caused turnover.
Senior Kate Cox paced the Ducks’ defense with two caused turnovers and four ground balls, while junior Ashley Carey caused a game-high three caused turnovers, picked up one ground ball, and controlled one draw. Senior Leah Wasserman handed out one assist, picked up a ground ball, accumulated three draw controls, and caused two turnovers, while sophomore Joey Galligan had four ground balls, two caused turnovers, and a draw control.
Stevens scored the game’s first six goals of the game over the first 21:02 of action. Loria put the Ducks on top 2:29 in and again found the back of the net at the 17:49 mark. Waybright and Scheibling followed with scores attempt, before Buonacuore recorded back-to-back goals to give Stevens the 6-0 advantage with 8:58 left in the half.
Kohanski scored twice around a goal from Smith to make the score 7-2 going into the break.
Smith scored 4:25 into the second half to make it 8-2 Ducks before Utica (3-2 overall, 0-1 Empire 8) made it a four-goal game with 19:42 on the clock. Wasserman found Scheibling with 17:40 left to take away the Pioneer momentum, and following a Schultheiss tally, Loria and Smith put the game away with back-to-back scores.