Flash Flooded by Flurry of Monmouth Markers, 19-3
Loretto, Pa. – The Saint Francis women’s lacrosse team surrendered a 19-3 loss to the two-time defending Northeast Conference Champion Monmouth Hawks in a saturated showdown on Friday evening at DeGol Field.
Junior juggernaut Meghan Crosby (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) continued on her torrent, team-leading pace with two tallies on three shots on cage. Crosby corralled the field for two ground balls and managed to phanagle two Hawks' possessions away. Crosby leads the team with 14 goals on the ledger.
Fanciful freshman Meg Lamarche (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) took part in another strong output with one goal and an assist to Crosby’s second tally. The Red Flash leader in points with 17 also gathered a ground ball and ran away with one draw. Crosby’s three blasts along with Lamarche’s solo scoring snipe were the only four shots registered on net the entire game for Saint Francis.
Junior captain Corri Smeak (Frederick, Md./St. John’s) matched Crosby’s two ground balls in Friday’s affair. Also earning one ground ball apiece were freshmen Heather Tiernan (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee), Val Vultaggio (Cranford, N.J./Cranford), Danielle Pokusa (Cinnaminson, N.J./Cinnaminson) and Michelle Wetzel (Sewickley, Pa./North Allegheny), sophomore Lauren Roth (Dover, Pa./Spring Grove) and junior Dana Mroczkowski (Lansing, Ohio/Bridgeport).
Junior Caitlin Espy (Moon, Pa./Moon) secured her first draw control as a collegiate while Roth added another for the Red Flash’s endeavors. Roth additionally created one turnover.
Senior Kati Kenyon (Glenmont, N.Y./Niskayuna) and junior keeper Katie Godshall (King of Prussia, Pa./Upper Merion) chimed in for disturbing a Hawks’ possession behind cage as well.
Pokusa earned her 12th consecutive start as the Red Flash’s backstopper, turning four Monmouth attempts aside in her 44:38 minutes of play. Godshall cleaned up the remaining 15:22 with five big saves, two of which from point-blank range.
Monmouth nudged out to a chivalrous 12-0 advantage before Crosby broke free for SFU’s first goal of the game with 12:33 remaining in the initial session. MU fastened three more netters, closing out the first half at a 15-1. The Hawks extended their gaping lead with four more markers to commence the second stanza, but Saint Francis had the last laugh with the two final goals of the game. Lamarche identified a flanking Crosby through the middle of the crease, feeding her a perfect pass to bury stick side against MU’s Kirby Mundorf at 6:36. Lamarche got her money’s worth at 3:46 on a feisty wrister at the top of the key for the final attack of the game, closing out the match 19-3. MU’s Rachel Feirstein turned in a game-best four goals. Nine different Hawks achieved at least one goal in the Friday matinee.
Saint Francis (0-12, 0-6) will host their final home contest against the Long Island University Blackbirds on Sunday, April 13 at 11am. Sunday morning’s affair marks senior day in honor of Saint Francis’ singular senior, Kati Kenyon.