MANCHESTER, N.H. – Senior
Isabella Stuzynski (Bedford, Mass.) tied her career-high in goals (four) and set new career-highs in assists (four) and points (eight), all of which came in the first half, as the nationally-ranked No. 17 Saint Anselm College women's lacrosse team defeated Saint Michael's College, 22-6, in their home opener on Saturday. 22 goals scored by the Hawks is tied for seventh-most in a single game in program history. Four Hawks student-athletes totaled three or more goals in the blowout victory.
UP NEXT:
- Saint Anselm stays at home for its next contest against Franklin Pierce University on Saturday, March 9th. The non-conference game is set for a 1:00 p.m. start time from Grappone Stadium.
Score: No. 17 Saint Anselm 22, Saint Michael's 6
Records: No. 17 Saint Anselm 2-0 (1-0 NE10), Saint Michael's 0-2 (0-2 NE10)
Location: Manchester, N.H. (Grappone Stadium)
Date: Saturday, March 2, 2024
Attendance: 136
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Stuznyski and the Hawks came out ready to play early in the first quarter. Saint Anselm put up 11 goals and held Saint Michael's scoreless through the opening 15 minutes of action.
- After senior Jess Sullivan (Wrentham, Mass.) got the Hawks on the board with the first two tallies of the game, senior Maggie Fitzgerald (Holliston, Mass.) scored a man-up goal for Saint Anselm to make it 3-0.
- After that, Stuzynski contributed on four straight Saint Anselm goals in a five minute span. The senior scored her first of the season before dishing out an assist to senior Alison Ferullo (North Andover, Mass.) She then scored her second in less than two minutes before setting up junior Samantha Rivet (Sudbury, Mass.) as the Hawks increased their lead to 7-0 with five minutes still to play in the first.
- After another Saint Anselm goal from junior Kendra Sabotka (Rutland, Vt.), Fitzgerald added her second off a feed from Stuzynski. Stuzynski then completed her hat trick with two minutes left in the quarter before junior Abigail Christmas (Elmira, N.Y.) scored her first career goal on a free-position opportunity just before the buzzer to make it 11-0, Hawks, after just a quarter of play.
- Sullivan capped off her hat trick with her third of the day a minute into the second, but Saint Michael's scored the next four goals and cut Saint Anselm's lead down to eight. Ginnie Hamilton scored twice for the Purple Knights during that run.
- Stuzynski and Sullivan each scored their fourth goals of the game in the closing minutes of the half and with 34 seconds left, Stuzynski once again set up Ferullo for her fourth assist and the Hawks led, 15-4 at halftime.
- Saint Anselm kept their foot on the pedal and did not let up as they outscored Saint Michael's, 5-0, in the third quarter. Fitzgerald scored the first two out of the intermission for the Hawks to put her total at four for the game and Ferullo completed her hat trick, the fourth Saint Anselm player to do so, a few minutes later to make it 18-4.
- Senior Erin Doyle (Weymouth, Mass.), who is primarily a defensive player for Saint Anselm, got in on the scoring as well with her first of the season that was set up by the first career assist from sophomore Brianna Fruci (Walpole, Mass.).
- Saint Anselm was able to put three more scores on the board between the third and fourth quarters, with all of them being first-career tallies for Hawks student-athletes. Sophomore Charlotte DeLucia (Winchester, Mass.) and freshmen Lily Bouvier (Grafton, Mass.) and Julia Rowley (Dover, N.H.) all registered their first collegiate goals to put Saint Anselm's total at 22 for the game, tied for the seventh-most in a single game in program history.
- Saint Michael's added two scores during the final quarter, but Saint Anselm cruised to their second win of the season.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Saint Anselm held a 42-24 advantage in shots and also led in shots on goal, 36-15.
- All three goaltenders on the Hawks roster got playing time in the win. Junior Elizabeth Driscoll (Marblehead, Mass.) picked up the win and made six saves in the first half. Senior Tess Froio (Hull, Mass,) made one save in 23 minutes of action before freshman Madelin Dunbar (Chelmsford, Mass.) came on for the final seven minutes to make two stops. Hope Msumba played the first quarter in net for the Purple Knights and had four saves before Laura Dickerson came on to replace her and make 10 saves over the final three quarters.
- Saint Michael's had 15 turnovers in the game compared to 13 committed by Saint Anselm. The Hawks held a 20-14 edge in ground balls and went 15 for 19 on clears, while the Purple Knights went 14 for 21 in that department.
- The Hawks won 19 draw controls to just 10 won by the Purple Knights. Saint Michael's was two-for-four on free-position opportunities while Saint Anselm was one-for-three.
- Three Hawks finished the game with four goals apiece (Fitzgerald, Stuzynski, and Sullivan). Stuzynski also contributed four assists to put her at eight points, while Fitzgerald and Sullivan added an assist each to put their point totals at five. Ferullo had a three-goal game for Saint Anselm, while Rivet added a goal and an assist. Seven other Hawks scored one goal in the dominant win.
- The Purple Knights were led by Hamilton and Sophia Lynch who both scored twice.
- This marked the 27th all-time meeting between these two programs. Saint Anselm improves to 17-10 all-time against Saint Michael's.
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