Seahawks Fly by Saint Francis, 22-0 – Hand Flash Seventh Straight Loss
Staten Island, N.Y. – As quoted by Frank Sinatra in the song New York, New York, “I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps”, the Red Flash felt as if New York was that state that never stops scoring. SFU fell victim to a 22-0 blanking at the hands of the Wagner College Seahawks on Thursday afternoon in what initiated the Red Flash’s first conference battle this season.
The Red Flash were outscored 40-2 in their mid-week east coast swing. On Wednesday, March 19, Saint Francis fell to Manhattan College by an 18-2 count.
Freshman midfielder Meg Lamarche (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) logged the lone shot for SFU coming in the first half of play. Lamarche also added two ground balls and jarred two Seahawks’ possessions loose. Sophomore winger Lauren Roth (Dover, Pa./Spring Grove) accounted for three ground balls, most for Saint Francis, as well as a season-high for the second-year laxer. Notably, junior Dana Mroczkowski (Lansing, Ohio/Bridgeport) also scooped up a 2008-best two ground balls on the defensive side of the field. Junior defender Corri Smeak (Frederick, Md./St. John’s) and senior midfielder Kati Kenyon (Glenmont, N.Y. / Niskayuna) each contributed with a loose ball pick up.
Freshman attacker Val Vultaggio (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) moved up to the circle for to see some action on the draw, coming away with two of the three controls for SFU. Smeak ran away with the other. Vultaggio’s two wins off the whistle are a career-best for the first year forward.
Freshman goalie Danielle Pokusa (Cinnaminson, N.J./Cinnaminson) started in her seventh consecutive game, hindering 10 shots while allowing 16 goals. Pokusa also earned her team leading 12th ground ball. Junior keeper Katie Godshall (King of Prussia, Pa./Upper Merion) came in for support with 25:54 left in the second half, turning aside two Seahawk attempts.
After becoming asphyxiated by an 18-0 halftime lead, Saint Francis surrendered four more Wagner tallies to close out each teams’ first NEC match by a final of 22-0. Three Wagner players registered hat tricks in leading the Seahawk assault. Scoring three goals each were junior midfielders Cara Gonzalez and Kelly Blundin along with sophomore midfielder Krista Malayter. Blundin added four assists on to give her seven points for the game, while Gonzalez added one assist to finish with five points. Scoring two goals apiece for Wagner were junior attacker Jessica Richmond, freshmen midfielders Carly Lyster and Karlee Keller, as well as freshman attacker Karen Vitkus. Adding one goal each for the Seahawks were freshman attacker Dana Marchitelli, sophomore attacker Gabrielle, junior midfielder Lindsay Hashmall, freshman defender Mallory Close and sophomore midfielder Terri Noll.
Saint Francis (0-7) returns home for a Friday night lights affair when the Red Flash take on Mount Saint Mary’s at 6pm on March 28 at DeGol Field. Friday’s fricassee denotes SFU’s second NEC tilt on their docket. The Mount defeated Robert Morris at home today, 14-9, in their opening Northeast Conference game.