NORTHAMPTON - Caroline Sanders (Orange County, CA/Santa Margarita Catholic) and Kyra Hawk (San Jose, CA/The Harker School) each registered a hat trick en route to a 11-10 win over Western New England in non-conference lacrosse action Saturday afternoon. The Bears improve to 2-1 on the year, while the Golden Bears begin their season 0-1.

The game began with Smith's Leila Bannon (Brunswick, ME/Brunswick) securing the opening draw control, setting the stage for an active first quarter. Smith capitalized on a man-up opportunity at 10:08 when Sanders scored the first goal of the game off a free position shot. Shortly thereafter, at 8:52, Kyra Hawk (San Jose, CA/The Harker School) extended the lead with another man-up score. The Golden Bears responded with a goal from Sydney Miles at 7:35, despite being a player down. The Bears regained momentum, with Skylar Burkhart (Woodinville, WA/Seattle Academy) scoring twice, including a goal with 28 seconds left assisted by Sofia Pascua (Carlsbad, CA/Sage Creek) to go ahead 5-1 after the first.

The Golden Bears mounted a strong performance in the second quarter, outscoring the Bears 4-1. Samantha Montecalvo opened the scoring with a goal at 12:57, assisted by Lyndsey Bunnell. Ella Henry added another goal for Western at 9:34 with another assist from Bunnell, capitalizing on a man-up situation. The Bears' Layna Fitzgerald (Indianapolis, IN/Cathedral) responded with a goal at 6:06, narrowing the deficit. However, WNEU continued to capitalize on their opportunities, with Ella Nish and Lina Eves each scoring on free position shots, extending their lead to 5-6 by the end of the quarter.

In a tightly contested third quarter, the teams exchanged goals throughout. Sydney Miles scored on a free position shot at 12:46 to tie the score at 6-6. Sanders responded for the home squad, netting a goal at 11:26, followed by another at 8:48, contributing significantly to the home team's scoring. The Golden Bears' Carlie Francis and Lina Eves each scored, keeping the game level. Later, Jordan Hoffman (Portland, OR/Jesuit) added a goal at 5:19, assisted by Sanders, and Kyra Hawk's (San Jose, CA/The Harker School) free position goal at 1:12 secured the Bears a slim 10-8 lead by the end of the quarter.

The Golden Bears opened the fourth quarter with a goal by Lyndsey Bunnell from a free position shot at 13:40, narrowing the deficit. The Bears quickly responded with Caroline Weyhrich (Boise, ID/Boise) securing the draw control, but a turnover by Fitzgerald stalled their momentum. Fitzgerald later capitalized on an opportunity, scoring at 06:02 to extend the Bears' lead once more. However, the Golden Bears answered with Carlie Francis netting a man-up goal from a free position shot at 04:56. Despite several turnovers and defensive efforts from both teams, the Bears maintained their advantage, ending the quarter with an 11-10 victory.

Smith Top Performers
Layna Fitzgerald (Indianapolis, IN/Cathedral)
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- 2 goals
- 6 shots on goal
- 1 game-winning goal

Kyra Hawk (San Jose, CA/The Harker School)
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- 3 goals
- 7 shots
- 1 power-play goal

Caroline Sanders (Orange County, CA/Santa Margarita Catholic)
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- 3 goals
- 2 assists
- 6 shots on goal

Skylar Burkhart (Woodinville, WA/Seattle Academy)
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- 2 goals
- 3 shots

The Bears have an overall record of 2-1. The Golden Bears have an overall record of 0-2.

Up Next
Smith hosts Hartford on Wednesday, March 4 at 6:00pm.

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 GoSmithBears.com and follow us on Facebook, and  Instagram.