WESTFIELD, MA-The Westfield State Owls flew past the Lasell College Lasers women's lacrosse team, 20-6, on Saturday afternoon. The Lasers drop to 0-2 in the early stretch of the season, while the Owls kicked of their year 1-0.
Westfield held the advantage in almost every statistical category, with the exception of draw controls and saves. The Owls managed 47 shots in the game, as opposed to Lasell's 18, including 34 shots on goal. Lasell's goalkeeper Kristin Coderre (Monson, MA) was kept busy as she made 14 saves in the net. Westfield also held a 29-11 advantage in groundballs, and made just six turnovers in the 60 minute contest. Lasell produced a 14-13 draw control advantage throughout the game.
The Owls opened up with a 2-0 edge just four minutes into the contest, with Rachel Dionne (Feeding Hills, MA) and Genna Raffaelo notching early goals. Andrea Ward (Hingham, MA) and Ashley Slattery (Weymouth, MA) answered with unassisted tallies over the next three minutes to tie the score at two-all, by 22:09. Unfortunately for the Lasers, Westfield pulled away with a 9-0 run over the remaining minutes of the half and entered the intermission with a commanding 12-2 lead.
The hosts carried over the momentum from the first half into the second as they ripped off six more unanswered goals. Ward fired in the Lasers first second-half goal, with 17:06 left to play, and Slattery found the back of the Owls net two minutes later on a penalty shot, bringing the score to 17-4. Neila Kudla (Groton, MA) tallied her first career goal with eight minutes remaining to play, and Slattery fed Ariel Walmark (West Hartford, CT) for the Lasers final goal, at 6:37.
Slattery totaled three points for the Lasers, and also finished with four draw controls and two ground balls.
Laura Chiricosta (Lexington, MA) had the performance of the day for the Owls, notching seven total points on five goals and two assists. Dionne finished with five points, scoring four goals and adding one helper, and Becca Kelley (Westfield, MA) earned four points, with three feeders and one goal.
Lasell continues to play non-conference opponents this week as they Nichols College on Tuesday, March 9th, at 3:30 on Grellier Field.