Box Score READING, Pa.--Meaghan Fileti (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif./Palos Verdes), Becky Bracken (Barrington, R.I./Barrington), and Mckenzie Hessel (Portland, Ore./Wilson) each netted a hat trick, but Alvernia University used a strong second half to deal a 21-12 defeat to Smith College in non-conference women's lacrosse action.

Smith (2-3) started strongly, opening up a 5-2 advantage in the first 10 minutes of the game.  Bracken got the scoring started with a pair of goals in the opening three minutes, before Sarah George scored on a free position shot to get Alvernia on the board.

Jenny Estes (Falmouth, Mass./Falmouth) countered with a free position goal of her own, and after Samantha Landis pulled one back for the Crusaders, Hessel and Fileti both found the back of the net for a 5-2 Smith lead.

Alvernia scored three of the next four goals to cut the lead to 6-5, but MK Pasini (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Hartley)'s goal at the 7:56 mark gave Smith an 8-6 lead.  The Crusaders then rattled off nine straight goals - three to end the first half, and the first six of the second half to take a 15-8 advantage, and never looked back.

Fileti stopped the run with a goal with 15:05 left in the game, but Alvernia pulled away, and Smith never got within seven the rest of the game. 

Pasini finished with two goals for Smith, who got 13 saves from Alina Pechacek (Andover, Mass./Phillips Academy).  Jen Czarnecki made 12 saves in 48 minutes of action for Alvernia, while Vicki Kearn made four saves in 12 minutes in net.  Sarah George scored six goals for the Crusaders.

Smith will now turn their attention to conference play, as they host MIT in the NEWMAC opener for both teams on March 24 at 1 p.m.