SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Saint Anselm College women's lacrosse team opened its 2023 season with a 16-7 non-conference win over American International College on Saturday.

The Hawks, who are receiving votes in the ILWomen/IWLCA Division II Preseason Poll, open the season with a win for the fourth consecutive season and will host the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs in the team's home opener on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

Senior Lexi Palmisano (Woburn, Mass.) netted a game-high four goals and added two assists for six points in the season-opening win. Classmate Taylor Cobain (East Greenwich, R.I.) went for two goals and three assists while senior Ellie Richards (Reading, Mass.) and junior Allison Ferullo (North Andover, Mass.) potted a pair of goals each.

Sophomore Elizabeth Driscoll (Marblehead, Mass.) collected her first collegiate win in her first collegiate start as she made four saves on eight shots on goal in just over 51 minutes of action. Junior Tess Froio (Hull, Mass.) came on to close the contest, making her Hawks debut.

Palmisano netted the first goal of the season just 1:26 into the first quarter and then followed that up with her second with 8:52 left in the first. Cobain, Richards, senior Quinn O'Rourke (Falmouth, Mass.), and Ferullo added to the Hawks lead as Saint Anselm led 7-0 through the opening 15 minutes.

Cobain extended the Hawks scoring run to eight to open the second quarter before Liz Day got the Yellow Jackets on the board. Saint Anselm netted five consecutive goals to close the second quarter, pushing the score to 13-1 at the half.

The squads netted two goals each in the third quarter as Palmisano and junior Isabella Stuzynski (Bedford, Mass.) each found the back of the net, giving the Hawks a 15-3 edge through three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, freshman Brianna Fruci (Walpole, Mass.) would score her first collegiate goal in her collegiate debut at the 9:10 mark. The Yellow Jackets would go on to tack on three goals in the remaining time of the fourth quarter to push the score to 16-7.

The Hawks held a 23-11 advantage in shots on goal in the contest. The defense caused seven turnovers and were led by Ferullo and junior Kylee Horlbeck (Norwell, Mass.) who had two caused turnovers each. Saint Anselm was 12-of-15 in clears in the contest and was credited with 13 draw controls.

Freshmen Kate Collins (Foxboro, Mass.), Julia Marsden (Norfolk, Mass.), Charlotte DeLucia (Winchester, Mass.), Haley Izydorczak (Wrentham, Mass.), Taylor Riley (Lancaster, Mass.), Kristina Packowski (Hampstead, N.H.), Kelley Regan (Medfield, Mass.), Elyse Scales (Walpole, Mass.), Margaret O'Connor (Longmeadow, Mass.), Erin Christmas (Elmira, N.Y.), Lucy Davis (Roswell, Ga.) joined Fruci in making their collegiate debuts in the contest.