Strong Second Half Propels #10 New Haven Past Women's Lacrosse, 15-5, Friday Night
Links: Box Score // Highlights
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College women's lacrosse team was within two goals late in the first half, but 10th-ranked New Haven pulled away with two late goals in the first frame and found the back of the net nine times in the second stanza to hand the Warriors a 15-5 setback in Friday night Northeast-10 Conference action at Martone-Mejail Field.
The Basics
Score: Coker 15, Merrimack 5
Records: Merrimack (3-4, 0-3 NE-10) | #10 New Haven (5-2, 3-0 NE-10)
Location: Martone-Mejail Field | North Andover, Mass.
How It Happened
Playing just its second home game of the season and first since the season opener on Feb. 28, Merrimack welcomed the 10th-ranked Chargers to campus looking for the program's first three-game win streak in five seasons.
New Haven would find the back of the net just 43 seconds into the game and built itself a 3-0 lead, but Merrimack made it interesting after senior Shealyn Anthony (Stoneham, Mass.) got the Warriors on the board with her first tally of the season at the 9:53 mark off a feed from freshman Amber Feminella (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.).
New Haven would answer, but junior Hunter McCarthy (Avon, Conn.) cut the deficit in half again with her first of the night with 4:39 to go in the first half. The Warriors had other opportunities to get closer, but the visitors took the momentum back with two goals in the last minute of play, as the Chargers took a 6-2 lead into halftime.
Freshman Bridget Schofield (Littleton, Mass.) notched her ninth of the season off a sensational individual effort to open the second half just 41 seconds in, getting the Warriors to within three. New Haven responded with back-to-back goals off of free position attempts before McCarthy did likewise to make it a 9-4 game.
Both sides traded goals, with McCarthy wrapping up her second straight hat trick and third overall this season off a feed from senior Danielle Riley (West Point, N.Y.), but the Chargers would score six unanswered goals from there on out to close out the contest.
Notes and Numbers
- McCarthy now has 16 goals on the season and eight in her last three games after her second straight hat trick performance
- Corinne Fisher led all players with five goals for the Chargers, while Caitlin O'Brien posted a hat trick; Jessica Mazliah also finished with five points (2g, 3a) for the visitors
- Merrimack caused five turnovers defensively, while sophomore Alexa Petzold (Ridgewood, N.J.) started the game and posted six first-half saves before freshman Lauren Trepaney (Nashua, N.H.) took over in the second half and recorded eight stops in just over 23 minutes before Petzold closed it out
- SOG: Merrimack – 13 // UNH – 29
- Ground Balls: Merrimack – 22 // UNH – 28
- Draw Controls: Merrimack – 8 // UNH – 14
- Clears: Merrimack (10-for-19) // UNH (14-for-18)
Up Next
Merrimack will continue league play with a midweek home matchup against Southern New Hampshire next Wednesday (March 30). First whistle at Martone-Mejail Field is set for 4 p.m.
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