Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. – Graduate student attacker Jessica Meneilly (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) scored five goals to lead the fifth-ranked Le Moyne College women's lacrosse team to a 12-8 victory over 11th-ranked Mercy College on Saturday afternoon at Mercy Field.

"Our games against Mercy have always been a battle and today was no different," said head coach Liz Beville. "I'm so proud of our players and their effort to secure the win. We look forward to building on today's performance this week for another in-region match up against Roberts Wesleyan."

The Dolphins, who have won their season opener in each of their 13 years at the Division II level, got the scoring started with a pair of goals in the first two minutes. Meneilly found the back of the net first by converting a free-position shot just 34 seconds into the game. At the 13:07 mark, graduate student attacker Sara Goodwin (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker/Virginia Tech) tallied her first goal as a Dolphin off a free-position shot in an extra-player situation.

Mercy answered back with two goals in a span of 24 seconds. Leah Hansen got the Mavericks on the scoreboard by scooping up a loose ball after her initial shot was saved and dumping it into the net with 12:08 left. Leena Moussa evened the score at two with 11:44 remaining.

Following three minutes of scoreless play, the teams traded goals in a span of just 15 seconds. Senior attacker Gemma Addonizio (Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) put the Dolphins back in front with 8:43 left. Kaitlyn Grzelaczyk answered back only 15 seconds later by finishing off a pass from sister Jaclyn Grzelaczyk.

Junior attacker Sarah Hutchings (Marcellus, N.Y./Marcellus) gave the Dolphins the lead back by swatting in a loose ball with 45 seconds left after her initial shot was saved.

The Mavs knotted the score at four just 17 seconds into the second quarter on Lindsey Shimborske's second goal of the season.

Le Moyne regained the lead with 10:11 until halftime as graduate student midfielder Katelyn Karleski (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill/Onondaga C.C.) scored from the right side. Just under four minutes later, Meneilly put the Dolphins up by two by finishing off a feed from Goodwin.

Jaclyn Grzelaczyk got the Mavs back within one with 5:34 to go with her third goal of the year.

The Dolphins scored twice in 38 seconds to take their first three-goal lead of the game. Hutchings scored in an extra-player situation with 4:03 left and then Meneilly tallied her third goal of the day after taking a feed in an extra-player situation from graduate student midfielder Adrianna Nojaim (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) with 3:25 remaining.

Addonizio started the scoring in the third quarter at the 13:07 mark for a 9-5 lead.

Hansen got the Mavs on the board in the third quarter with 3:05 remaining in the period with her fourth goal of the campaign. Just 36 seconds later, Moussa recorded her second goal of the day and sixth of the season off a cut to the middle from the left side.

Nojaim recorded her first goal of the season 1:46 into the fourth quarter with a drive down the left alley. Meneilly netted her fourth goal of the contest with 9:09 remaining after collecting a pass from Goodwin. With the goal, Meneilly passed Whitney Vecchio '08 for eighth place on the program's career goals list with her 146th. Meneilly scored again at the 7:43 mark from the left alley off a dish from Hutchings to complete the team's scoring.

Moussa got the Mavs back within 12-8 with 3:12 left by finishing off a feed from Erin Shimborske on the left edge of the crease in a 7-on-4 situation as the Dolphins had three players serving cards.

Senior goalkeeper Paige Crandall (Adams, N.Y./South Jefferson) earned the win between the pipes after making 11 saves, including seven in the second half. Junior defender Lilly Locastro (Marcellus, N.Y./Marcellus) registered career highs of five caused turnovers and four ground balls. The five caused turnovers are the most by a Dolphin since Olivia McEntee '20 had five against Assumption on May 4, 2019.

Le Moyne (1-0), which improved to 4-0 against Mercy, including three times with the Mavericks ranked 11th nationally, opens its home slate on Wednesday against Roberts Wesleyan University at 4:00 p.m.