NEWBURGH, N.Y. (April 16, 2024) – Following a first quarter that ended in a 3-3 tie, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy women's lacrosse team ran away with an eight-goal second quarter to cruise to a 17-5 victory over Mount Saint Mary on Tuesday at Kaplan Field. The win brings the Mariners to a 9-2 record overall with a 6-0 mark in Skyline Conference play; including last year's Skyline playoffs, Merchant Marine has now won ten consecutive league contests. Mount Saint Mary falls to 7-5 overall and 2-3 in conference competition with the loss.
Game Links
Junior attacker Lauren Jablonowski (Levitttown, N.Y.) led all players with six points on the evening, nabbing a hat trick and three assists to go along with four ground balls. Four Mariners finished with four points in the team victory including first-year Grace Picozzi (Collegeville, Pa.), who scored a game-high four goals and added five draw controls, four ground balls and three caused turnovers. Fellow rookie Leslie Wysong (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) added two goals and two assists while leading the team with 11 draw control victories and seven ground ball pickups. Senior attacker Kaitlyn Latchaw (Phoenix, Md.) added two goals and two assists as junior Gianna Russo (Wake Forest, N.C.) had a hat trick and an assist for the second consecutive contest. Sophomore Emma Barnes (Chillicothe, Ohio) scored a pair of goals and senior Reagan Jetter (La Jolla, Calif.) added a tally of her own for the Mariners in the win.
On defense for USMMA, sophomore Nicole Nagengast (Seaford, N.Y.) led another strong performance from the back line with three ground ball pickups and two caused turnovers. Sophomore Keira Collins (Sayville, N.Y.) added a caused turnover in the win as did seniors Kristy Nilsson (Key West, Fla.) and Caroline Collins (Sayville, N.Y.). Sophomore goalie Karianna Eagle (Little Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) made three saves in cage for the Mariners while scooping up four ground balls in the win.
Victoria Ward led Mount Saint Mary with three points on the strength of two goals and an assist. Delisianna Naccarato had a pair of goals for the Knights with four ground balls, four caused turnovers and four draw controls in the loss while Karlie Ferrucci added two assists. Liz Petrellese made 12 saves in the first half in cage for the hosts.
Picozzi scored a pair of goals for the Mariners in the opening quarter, but Ward answered with two of her own late in the frame as the teams were tied at 3-all after fifteen minutes of lacrosse. USMMA started the second quarter winning the opening draw control, but Wysong was denied by Petrellese on the first shot of the frame. However, a failed clear from MSMC caused by Barnes led to Russo scoring her first goal of the game from Jablonowski with ninety seconds off the clock to give the Mariners a lead that they would not relinquish. Jetter put KP up by a 5-3 margin a minute later and the floodgates would only open further from there. Barnes and Latchaw notched markers in the final minute of the frame to put the Mariners up by an 11-3 margin at the halftime break. A dominating effort on both sides of the ball took place over the final thirty minutes as USMMA coasted to the victory with a fourth-quarter shutout of Mount Saint Mary.
The Mariners will host Purchase College on Saturday, April 20 at Brooks Stadium at noon. It will be Senior Day for USMMA as the team will recognize its eight graduating members---Collins, Jetter, Latchaw, Nilsson, Isabelle Auger (Reno, Nev.), Annie Hood (Alexandria, Va.), Hannah Newsom (Sulphur Springs, Texas), and Nicole Stafanick (Livonia, Mich.) prior to the contest. Live stats and a live video feed of the game will be available with links on the USMMA Women's Lacrosse Schedule Page.
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