#17 Women’s Lacrosse Down River Hawks 11-4
#3 Ally Criscuolo looks for a teammate. Courtesy of CatholicAthletics.com
By Jared Prenda
The CUA women’s lacrosse team remains unbeaten in Landmark Conference competitions following a comfortable 11-4 victory over Susquehanna on the road. The win on Sunday, April 8th brings the #17 Cards’ record to 7-5 (3-0) overall, sitting in first for the conference (one game ahead of Moravian, Drew, Elizabethtown, and Scranton).
The Cardinals put on an offensive clinic against the Riverhawks. The Cards not only outscored their opponents but also outshot them 40-18. CUA also won the draw controls battle 12-5 and converted 2-7 of their free possession shots.
Senior attacker Nicolette Crisalli lead the efforts for the Birds by shooting 100% (5-5) on the day while sophomore Ally Criscuolo scored two of her own. Freshman Emily Bynoe won 5 draw controls to tie for the team high with junior Jessica Lyons, who also added a pair of goals and turnovers each in the effort. Only 3 of the team’s goals were unassisted as junior Molly Kelly tied sophomore Holly Regan for the game high of 2 assists.
The scoring began at 27:26 when rookie Kate Behlen converted her free position shot to give the Cards a 1-0 lead. The team never looked back as it poured in goals, ending the half up 9-0. Susquehanna managed to put 4-0 in the back of the net, but responses from Crisalli and Lyons ensured the match was well out of hand.
The Cards also dominated on the defensive side of the ball. Goaltender Nanci Hernandez earned 10 saves in her 6th win of the year. Junior Erin Dugan made an impact in the field by forcing a team-high 3 turnovers and secured 5 ground balls.
The game would serve as a good confidence booster for the Catholic team as it stayed on the road to play #5 Franklin & Marshall on Wednesday, April 11th. They fell to the Diplomats 10-9 in the end but put on a strong performance. Crisalli managed to net 2 goals while Lyons scored 1 of her own. The loss snaps a four-game winning streak, which included a 14-13 dub over the previous #5 York.
The Cardinals return to action this coming Saturday, April 14th at the Catholic University Athletics Complex to face conference rivals Juniata; the opening face-off is scheduled for noon. The game will kick off a four-game homestead with three against Landmark teams, including second place Moravian on the 21st.
