Women’s Lacrosse Falls to Massachusetts Maritime Academy, 9-6

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Elms College junior attacker Kaitlyn Harrington (East Longmeadow, Mass.) scored a team-high three goals, but Massachusetts Maritime Academy used seven first-half scores to help seal a 9-6 victory in Saturday afternoon's New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) women's lacrosse game at Leary Field.

With the loss, Elms falls to 0-7 on the season, 0-2 in conference action, while Mass. Maritime improves to 2-5 overall, 1-0 in NEWLA play.

Mass. Maritime opened up an early 4-0 lead 5:13 into the contest as Hillary Doucette (Manchester, Mass.), Shauna Callinan (West Falmouth, Mass.), Sarah Derrane (Utica, N.Y.) and Kim Courcy (Warwick, R.I.) each netted a goal to give the Buccaneers its four-goal lead.

Elms' junior midfielder Emily Walsh (Hadley, Mass.) answered for the Blazers at the 23:14 mark to narrow the deficit to three at 4-1, before Julie Shebroe (Little Falls, N.J.) added back-to-back marks in a span of 45 seconds with just under 10 minutes to play in the opening stanza to extend the Buccaneers' lead to 6-1.

Sophomore attacker Kayla Narey (South Hadley, Mass.) found the back of the net with 8:07 to play, and Harrington's first goal of the game with 2:05 to play in the first half cut Elms' deficit to 6-3 before Doucette fired in her second goal of the game with 13 ticks on the clock to give Mass. Maritime a 7-3 advantage at intermission.

After a defensive battle for the first 14 minutes of the second half, Narey corralled a pass from Harrington and found nylon for the second time in the contest, pulling the Blazers back to within three (7-4 with 15:43 to play in the game.

Doucette and Courcy answered with their third and second goals of the game respectively to extend the Buccaneers' lead back to five at 9-4 with 10:35 to play.

Elms' junior midfielder Cathy Duquette (Naples, Maine) delivered a pass to Harrington, who scored her second goal of the contest with 2:31 left in the game, and Harrington added her third and final tally with 50 seconds to play, but it was not enough as Mass. Maritime held on for a 9-6 victory.

The sides registered 17 shots each in the first period and Mass. Maritime edged the Blazers in shots in the second half, 14-13, while the Buccaneers earned 11 of 17 draw controls during the contest.

Elms' senior goalkeeper Rachel Schrutt (Chicopee, Mass.) turned away 14 shots and collected six groundballs, while sophomore midfield Brianna Lyons (Canton, Mass.) added four groundballs and caused five turnovers.

For Mass. Maritime, Courcy and Kerri Conway (West Springfield, Mass.) picked up four groundballs each, while goalkeeper Tenley Gillett (Manchester, N.H.) amassed 16 saves.

Elms returns to action on Tuesday, April 3 when its hosts NEWLA rival Salem State University at 7:00 p.m. at Leary Field.