MANCHESTER, N.H. – Junior Meghan Smith (Pittsford, N.Y.) recorded six goals and an assist, but the Saint Anselm College women's lacrosse team dropped an 18-13 decision to 11th-ranked University of New Haven on Saturday afternoon at Grappone Stadium in the team's regular-season finale on Senior Day.
The Hawks drop to 4-10 on the season, including 4-8 in Northeast-10 play, while the Chargers better their record to 10-7, 8-4.
Smith finished the season with 55 goals, the third most in a single season at Saint Anselm and just two shy of matching the record. Smith's 62 points this season also places her third on the program's single-season points list. Heading into her senior season in 2012, Smith is third all-time on the program's goals and points lists, while she is fifth in assists.
Alexis Gabbe led the Chargers with eight goals.
Smith staked Saint Anselm to a 2-0 lead with a pair of scores in the first 5:17 of the contest. Gabbe answered with two of her own, however, to tie the game. After junior Shawna Walsh (Woburn, Mass.) scored at the 21:40 mark of the opening half, Gabbe netted two more and the Chargers led, 4-3. New Haven was not finished there, however, as it scored six more times to take a 10-3 lead into the break.
Sophomore Kaleigh Hunt (Sudbury, Mass.) scored just 1:29 into the second half, but Gabbe answered the goal with one of her own that made it 11-4. Senior Leigh Krzyston (Bedford, N.H.), Smith and sophomore Bryanna Hayes (Mansfield, Mass.) all found the back of the net and quickly cut the Chargers' lead to four.
New Haven stopped the run before Smith scored again to make it 12-8. The Chargers scored three more times to open up some breathing room, but Saint Anselm netted three of the next four goals – one from Walsh and a pair from Smith – to slice the deficit to 16-11.
Gabbe halted the run with her seventh goal of the day, and after senior Kristen Vassalotti (South Easton, Mass.) got in on the Senior Day fun with a goal of her own, Gabbe scored again to make it 18-12. Krzyston then closed the scoring with another goal at the 1:20 mark.
Senior goalkeeper Katherine O'Hara (Norwell, Mass.) made 10 saves, while New Haven's Maureen Spellman stopped 12 shots.
Shots were even at 36 apiece, while Saint Anselm held 23-10 advantage in draw controls. The Chargers were 9 of 12 on their free-position chances, while the Hawks were 4-for-9.
This marked the final game for seniors O'Hara, Krzyston and Vassalotti, who were all honored prior to the start of the game.
