Hat-tricks from Tortorici and Kline power Seahawks to 11-7 win

MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – The Salve Regina University women's lacrosse team earns its first home victory of the 2015 season, defeating Smith College 11-7 at Gaudet Field.

Smith scored the opening goal of the game to take a 1-0 lead thanks to Petru Bester (Deep River, Conn.) on a free position shot, but the Pioneers went 20 minutes in between their next goal. Meanwhile the Seahawks scored seven straight to take command, and a lead they would never relinquish.

Both freshman Katie Kline (Brookfield, Conn.) and senior captain Gina Tortorici (Deer Park, N.Y.) notched hat-tricks in the win as the two continue to pace the Seahawks in scoring.

Most of the afternoon the Seahawks best defense was their offense, sustaining long possessions in the offensive zone, preventing the Pioneers from being able to create any offense of their own. However to start the second half the Pioneers began winning off draw control and winning the 50/50 battles for the ball and found some offense.

Leading 9-3 at halftime the Pioneers game out and scored the first two goals of the second half to draw within four. Smith threatened to make a full comeback but the Seahawks made timely goals to keep enough distance between themselves and the Pioneers.

The Seahawks responded to the 2-0 run from the Pioneers with two goals of their own courtesy of Tortorici and Jessie Severino (Branford, Conn.) to push it back to an 11-5 game. The Pioneers would score the final two goals of the game but the Seahawks were able to play keep away long enough to burn the clock to walk away with their second straight victory and first at home in 2015.

Josephine O'Reilly (Middletown, R.I.) stopped nine of the 16 shots she faced for Salve Regina, while Sarah Price (Hudson, Ohio) made 14 stops on 25 shots on goal.

With the win Salve Regina evens their record at 2-2 while the Pioneers have dropped four straight to fall to 2-4 on the season.

Salve Regina will hit the road for four straight games, the first of which comes against Bridgewater State on St. Patrick's Day March 17 at 7 p.m.