Syracuse, N.Y. – Sophomore midfielder
Amari Pollard (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) scored three goals to lead the seventh-ranked Le Moyne College women's lacrosse team to a 9-6 win over fourth-ranked LIU Post on Saturday afternoon in non-conference action at Ted Grant Field.
Le Moyne's win snaps LIU Post's 35-game regular-season win streak, which dates back to a 10-9 loss at Dowling on May 5, 2012, and the Pioneers' 22-game non-conference win streak, which dates back to an 18-15 loss at West Chester on April 24, 2012.
After almost eight and one-half minutes of scoreless action to start the game, during which time the Pioneers committed six turnovers and Le Moyne had four shots saved, senior midfielder
Laura Hoffman (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua) got the Dolphins on the scoreboard with her fourth goal of the season. Following two saves by LIU Post goalkeeper Olivia Kirk, junior attacker
Maggie Monnat (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) gave the Dolphins a two-goal lead by converting a free-position shot with 18:56 remaining in the first half.
Following 10 more minutes of scoreless play, during which LIU Post had two turnovers and Le Moyne had two shots and a turnover, the Pioneers broke through with their first goal of the game as Cara Douglas found the back of the net with 8:42 left in the half.
Pollard then scored back-to-back goals to give the Dolphins a 4-1 lead and force an LIU Post timeout with 6:08 left in the stanza. She scored her first of the day just 45 seconds after Douglas, while her second came on a free-position shot with 6:08 to go.
LIU Post, which defeated the Dolphins in the 2012 NCAA semifinals and in early March last year, countered with two goals 3:26 apart to get back within one. Jenna Pierro netted her ninth goal of the season with 4:36 left, while Douglas finished off a pass from Emily Delaney with 1:10 remaining.
Following five LIU Post fouls over the next 1:05, junior attacker
Erica Geremia (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee/SUNY Cortland) tallied a free-position goal with just three seconds left in the half.
The teams traded goals over the opening 8:19 of the second half. Pollard pushed Le Moyne's lead back to three by converting a free-position shot 3:25 into the half, while Stefani Vagelatos answered 1:16 later after taking a feed from Honey Roche. Senior attacker
Julia Suriani (Buffalo, N.Y./West Seneca East) gave the Dolphins a 7-4 advantage with 23:57 left after receiving a pass from Geremia. Roche pulled the Pioneers within two for the final time with a free-position tally with 21:41 to play.
The Dolphins took their largest lead of the game by scoring the next two goals. Junior attacker
Claire Monnat (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) dodged from the right side to net her fourth goal of the season with 16:28 left. Geremia then tallied her team-best 12th goal of the campaign with 13:15 left for a 9-5 advantage.
After Pierro netted a free-position shot with 7:14 left to make it a 9-6 game, each team committed four turnovers and LIU Post had three shots saved to close out the game.
Senior goalkeeper
Molly Marbut (Edgewater, Md./South River) recorded seven saves, including six in the second half, to earn the win between the pipes. Kirk took the loss for the Pioneers despite making 12 saves, including nine in the first half. The Dolphins posted a 26-17 advantage in shots, including a 18-5 margin in the first half, while committing eight fewer turnovers (13-21).
Le Moyne (3-0), which beat a higher-ranked opponent for just the second time in seven opportunities (1-4 vs. Adelphi, 1-1 vs. LIU Post), continues its season-opening stretch against teams receiving votes in the IWLCA poll by facing second-ranked Lock Haven University on Thursday. The contest will be played at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania at 4:00 p.m.
