Women’s Lacrosse sails past Mitchell with 18-11 season opening win

North Adams, MA— Sophomore midfielder Julia Graham scored 7 goals and won a program record twelve draw controls this afternoon to lead the MCLA Women's Lacrosse team to an 18-11 nonconference, opening day win over Mitchell College at Shewcraft Field. With the win the Trailblazers move to 1-0, while the Mariners fall to 1-3.

MCLA got off to a quick start scoring four goals in a two-and-a-half-minute span in the first quarter and after Graham's second at the 5:26 mark, the Trailblazers led 5-0.

Mitchell would bookend the first intermission with a pair of goals to cut the deficit to 5-2 but MCLA would respond with another four-goal run, including a pair by Summer Nichols (5 goals, one assist) to stretch their lead to 9-2. A Nina Reyes (2 goals, one assist) goal in the last minute of the half would put the Trailblazers up 12-4 at the break.

The teams would play even in the 3^rd quarter scoring three goals apiece to make it 15-7.

A Rachell Ricciuti score just over three minutes into the 4^th quarter would make it 15-8 but that would be as close as the Mariners would get. MCLA's Skyelyn Haynes (4 goals, two assists) would answer with 8:26 left and the Trailblazers would cruise to the 18-11 opening day win.

Daniella Holland (4 goals, one assist) and Lauren Cordero (3 goals, one assist) led the Mitchell offensive attack.

Mariner goalie Hannah Gomes (L, 1-3) made 7 saves on 25 MCLA shots. Trailblazer keeper Lori Lester (W, 1-0) stopped 15 of 26 Mitchell shots.

Mitchell will next travel to Rhode Island College on Friday for a 4pm start. MCLA returns to the Shew on Saturday evening at 5pm to take on Northern Vermont-Lyndon.