WOMEN’S LACROSSE: PANTHERS GET HAT TRICK HAT TRICK IN HOME OPENER

John LaPierre

He/him

Staff Writer

3/4/24

Plymouth State Women’s Lacrosse welcomed the Emmanuel College Saints to Panther Field for the first time in program history on Friday, March 1st. After a tight back and forth first half, the Panthers pulled away and won 15-8. The Panthers came into this game 1-0 (0-0 in the Little Eastern Conference). Emmanuel was 0-1 (0-0 in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference). 

From the opening faceoff, the Panthers controlled offensive zone time, passing the ball around to get someone open for a potential shot on goal. The Panthers kicked off the scoring with a goal from freshman Sammy Murphy (#16), just 35 seconds in. Two minutes later, Emmanuel’s Madeline Wright (#12) scored to tie up the game. 

Both defenses looked solid early on, making it hard for the opposing offense to score. Panther Julia Donovan scored, but a penalty wiped away the goal. Saints goalie Isabelle Thomas looked spectacular early on, meanwhile Panthers goalie Margie Black didn’t see much action. 

The Saints scored again with a goal from Alyssa Hogan (#8) with 3:51 left in the first quarter. The Panthers responded quickly, however, and just a minute later Tarryn O’Brien (#6) found the net. The Panthers tight defense looked like cheetahs hunting prey when the Saints had the ball. The Panthers scored again, this time with Maddie Hunt (#18), with four seconds left in the quarter, putting them up 3-2.

Both offenses tried to generate goal opportunities to start the second quarter, but neither team scored in the first eight minutes. Both defenses made it hard for their opponent to score. Emmanuel finally scored with Livia Fedele (#13). The Panthers got their only goal of the second quarter from O’Brien with 0:32 left. The Panthers took a one point lead going into the half, 4-3.

The Saints’ Fedele kicked off the second half scoring a little over a minute in. The Panthers responded within a minute from Murphy, her second of the night, with 12:43 remaining. A minute later, the Saints notched another one home, coming this time from Avery Robillard (#17) at 11:27. The Panthers came right back, scoring nineteen seconds later with Hunt. 

The Panthers took a two point lead after a goal from Megan Gaspa (#21) with 10:23 left in the third quarter. Panther Murphy notched her first career hat trick at 8:35. The Saints put up a fight, though, with a goal from Wright at 2:56. The Panthers scored again with Gaspa at 0:26. Panther Julia Donovan, who had been quiet all game scoring-wise, finally got on the board at 0:04.

Panther Donovan opened the fourth quarter with another goal at 14:08. O’Brien scored at 12:58, becoming the second Panther with a hat trick in the contest, and scoring the Panthers’ fourth unanswered goal. The Saints did everything in their power to rally back from the deficit, but the Panthers defense is scary.

Emmanuel’s Wright notched her second goal of the game at 9:14. Julia Donovan became the third Panther with a hat trick in the game 8:15. Amelia Thomas (#10) scored her first goal of the game for the Panthers at 6:12. Panther Jenna Stowell (#12) got one past Thomas at 3:24 for her first goal of the night. The Saints got one goal late in the quarter from Maddie Kross (#26). The Panthers won by a final of 15-8.

Coming up for both of these teams, the Panthers will host non-conference opponent Framingham State next Tuesday at 4:00 pm. The Saints will travel to non-conference opponent Manhattanville College next wednesday, also at 4:00 pm.