Box Score NORTHAMPTON, Mass.--The Smith College lacrosse team got the 2013 season underway with a 20-10 defeat to Western New England University on Saturday afternoon. The Pioneers fall to 0-1, while Western New England won their third straight to improve to 3-0.
Jessica Lillquist (East Lyme, Conn./East Lyme) led Smith with four goals, while
Petru Bester (Deep River, Conn./Valley Regional) had two, as did
Rachel Silveria (Dunstable, Mass./Groton-Dunstable), who was making her collegiate debut. Smith also got a goal apiece from
Christina Vara (Hudson, Mass./Hudson) and
Jenny Estes (Falmouth, Mass./Falmouth).
Western New England was led by five goals and three assists from Kelsey Sherman, while Taylor Scialdone scored four times, and Kaitlynn Stevens and Jessica Scannapieco each had a hat trick. Stevens also had two assists.
Sherman opened the scoring 25 seconds intot he game with an unassisted goal, but Bester responded in kind 30 seconds later to tie the score. The Golden Bears then rang off seven consecutive goals to build an 8-1 advantage, with Sherman scoring three.
The Pioneers would respond, scoring four of the next five as Silveria and Vara scored 11 seconds apart, and Vara set up Lillquist for her first of the year that would cut the lead to 8-4. After Scannapieco and Lillquist traded goals, Western New England went on another scoring run, netting five in a row for a 14-5 advantage with 7:14 left in the first half. Bester and Lillquist scored to cut the lead to 14-7, but Scialdone and Scannapieco scored in the final 24 seconds to give the Golden Bears a 16-7 lead at halftime.
The second half featured just seven combined goals; Emily Lesure and Kelsey Armstrong scored in the opening minutes of the half for an 18-7 lead, but Smith replied with unassisted goals from Lillquist, Estes, and Silveria to climb within 18-10. Scannapieco and Scialdone completed the scoring in the five minutes of the contest.
Savannah Lawson (Oak Bluffs, Mass./Martha's Vineyard), playing in her first collegiate lacrosse game, made nine saves and played all 60 minutes for the Pioneers. Emily Castelman and Melissa Perry each played a half. Castleman made five stops, while Perry was called upon to make one save.
Smith will host Roger Williams University in a 3:30 p.m. contest on Tuesday, March 12. Western New England will also be at home, playing Salve Regina in a 4 p.m. tilt on March 12.
