NEWPORT, R.I. - Powered by a six-goal fourth quarter and a great performance from Sadie Tschider (Piedmont, CA/Piedmont) and Caroline Sanders (Orange County, CA/Santa Margarita Catholic), the Smith College lacrosse team earned a convincing 12–4 road win over Salve Regina Wednesday night at Gaudet Field. The victory lifts the Pioneers to 6-6 overall and 2-3 in conference play.
Game Highlights
- Smith wasted no time taking control. Less than 90 seconds into the game, Sadie Tschider (Piedmont, CA/Piedmont) opened the scoring with a finish off a feed from Caroline Sanders (Orange County, CA/Santa Margarita Catholic) to give Smith a 1–0 lead.
- Just 48 seconds later, Sanders got in on the scoring herself, taking a pass from Kyra Hawk (San Jose, CA/The Harker School) and burying a shot to double the lead.
- The Pioneers continued their early pressure, and at the 11:38 mark, Sanders netted her second of the quarter on a connection from Jordan Hoffman (Portland, OR/Jesuit).
- The momentum kept rolling as Tschider added her second goal just two minutes later, assisted by Emma Butterick (Windsor, CT/Windsor), capping off a dominant opening quarter for the Pioneers, who led 4–0 after 15 minutes.
- Goalkeeper Brooke Testa (Pittstown, NJ/Delaware Valley) recorded three saves in the quarter, helping Smith maintain the shutout.
- Salve Regina opened the second quarter with back-to-back goals by Samantha Moleti (13:34) and Cameron Baston (11:18) to cut Smith's lead to 4–2.
- The Pioneers responded with strong midfield transition play, and at 3:24, first-year Jenna Paczkowski (Jupiter, FL/Choate Rosemary Hall) fed Layna Fitzgerald (Indianapolis, IN/Cathedral) for a critical goal to re-establish the cushion at 5–2.
- The Seahawks answered again with a late goal from Nora Cooney at 1:10 to pull within one at the break, 5–3.
- Salve sneaked in a final goal as time expired in the quarter, trimming the margin to 6–4 entering the final frame.
- The Pioneers exploded for six unanswered goals in the fourth quarter.
- 14:02 – Fitzgerald opened the quarter with her second goal of the day, assisted by Sanders.
- 10:26 – Sanders earned her hat trick off another assist from Hawk, making it 8–4.
- 8:41 – Sanders scored again unassisted for her fourth of the game.
- 6:04 – Tschider completed her own hat trick, assisted by Fitzgerald.
- 5:06 – Tschider scored again, this time off a feed from Sanders.
- 2:35 – Tschider capped off the night with her fifth goal, assisted by Fitzgerald once more.
Smith's defense was flawless in the final quarter, with Testa adding four more saves and the unit forcing multiple turnovers. The Pioneers were 6-for-6 on clears and won the draw control battle 6–1 in the fourth.
Inside the Numbers
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Smith outscored Salve Regina 6–0 in the fourth quarter, turning a 6–4 lead into a commanding victory.
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The Pioneers outshot the Seahawks 22–22, but held the edge in shots on goal at 19–14.
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Smith controlled the possession battle, winning 15 draw controls — eight from Sanders — and securing 21 ground balls.
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Senior goalie Brooke Testa (Pittstown, NJ/Delaware Valley) anchored the defense with 14 saves, including four in each of the final three quarters, holding Salve Regina scoreless over the final 15 minutes.
Up Next
Smith returns to action at home this weekend as they host Clark University at 1pm on Saturday afternoon in Northampton.
About Smith Athletics: Smith College is a NCAA Division III member of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference that sponsors 11 intercollegiate sports. For more information log on to smithpioneers.com and follow us on Facebook, and Instagram.
