Strong Start Carries Women's Lacrosse Past Elms, 17-3

THE BASICS 

Score:             
Elms College, 3; Emmanuel College, 17
Records:         
Emmanuel College Saints (3-3, 3-1 GNAC)
Elms College Blazers (3-2, 2-2 GNAC)
Location:         
Chicopee, Mass. – Leary Field
Date:               
Tuesday, March 22, 2022

THE LEAD:  Emmanuel College scored seven straight goals to open play en route to a 17-3 victory over host Elms College in Great Northeast Athletic Conference women's lacrosse action Tuesday evening at Leary Field.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Senior Jessica Borduas (Woodbury, Conn.), junior Megan Steele (Auburn, Maine) and senior Chandra Franca (Woburn, Mass.) all found the back of the net during the first five minutes of action to give the Saints an early 3-0 advantage.
• Steele and Borduas found the back of the net for the second time during the seventh minute of play to move the score to 5-0 before Steele and first year Deja Srimouksavanh (Portsmouth, N.H.) finished off the 7-0 run to open the game.
• Elms senior Arianna Callahan (West Springfield, Mass.) and junior Anna-Elise Pikul (Belchertown, Mass.) gave the hosts a lift to close the quarter with consecutive goals, moving the score to 7-2 through one.
• The Saints shut out the Blazers in the second as Franca scored twice in the frame with Steele adding her fourth goal of the night to bump the lead to 10-2 at the half.
• Steele's fifth goal came just 35 seconds into the third before first year Anna Drillen (Readfield, Maine) joined the scoring column with 10:52 left in the third to increase the lead to 10 (12-2).
• Later in the third, Callahan and Srimouksavanh traded goals to make it 13-3 and the score held until Ali Bergin (Newbury, Mass.) opened the fourth quarter scoring with 12:27 left to increase Emmanuel's lead to 14-3.
• Franca added her fourth goal before first year Rachel Canedy (Woodstock, Conn.) scored for the second straight game. Srimouksavanh capped Emmanuel's scoring with 26 seconds to play to account for the 17-3 final.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Steele finished the night with a career-high five goals.
• Senior goalie Emma Crowley (Peterborough, N.H.) earned the win in net making 11 saves to improve to 3-3 on the year while Emma Walsh suffered the loss making 15 saves for the Blazers.
• Franca added four goals while Borduas finished with two goals and two assists.
• Emmanuel outshot Elms by a 37-22 margin in the victory.

UP NEXT

• The Saints hit the road on Saturday, March 26 for a GNAC showdown in Standish, Maine vs. Saint Joseph's College at 3:00 PM
• Elms is idle until Wednesday, March 30 when they travel to Albertus Magnus College for a GNAC tilt at 5:00 PM.