Seahawks celebrate Senior Day with win over Leopards

MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (April 23, 2022) - Salve Regina University senior Nicole Smith (North Attleboro, Mass.) joined the 100-point club with her second goal of the day as the Seahawks defeated the visiting Leopards of Wentworth Institute of Technology, 13-6, in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) women's lacrosse action at Gaudet Field on Saturday afternoon. The Seahawks celebrated their nine seniors prior to the first draw control - Libby Baldwin, Kiely Callahan, Kimberly Dunn, Brynn Mendes, Celia Palzkill, Hailey Ross, Georgia Rossetti, Nicole Smith, Madison Thiel.

The Seahawks got on the board in the opening minutes of the game, as Nicole Smith (North Attleboro, Mass.) scored the first of her six goals on the day, putting Salve Regina up 1-0. Two minutes later, they added to their lead as Emma Periera (Easton, Mass.) scored to make it a 2-0 lead. Senior goalkeeper Lily Kuhns (Gloucester, Mass.) then made two of her 12 saves on the day shortly after, but Salve Regina was again able to add to the lead as Kelly Ventura (Floral Park, N.Y.) put in the first of her four goals to extend the lead to three. Senior midfielders Sarah Galan (Colchester, Conn.) and Emily Rogers (Pembroke, Mass.) got a pair of shots on goal, but both were turned aside. Smith then scored her second to make it 4-0, but the Leopards came back with thee goals in 3:13 to cut their deficit to one. Sophomore attack Olivia Murray (Quincy, Mass.) got Wentworth on the board with a goal with 4:39 left, then Galan and Rogers scored two goals 22 seconds apart to bring it to a 4-3 score heading into the second. Wentworth was able to tie the game in the second, as Rogers scored her second of the game to tie it at 4-4. But the home team came back shortly after, as Smith gave Salve Regina lead back with a pair of goals. She first scored on a free-position attempt with just over two minutes left in the period, then scored an unassisted goal with 59 second remaining to put the Seahawks ahead 6-4 going in to halftime. The Leopards got one back early in the third to get within one, as Rogers scored her third just 41 seconds into the second half. But Salve Regina answered with quickly, scoring three goals in 70 seconds to make it a 9-5 score. Ventura scored a pair for the home team, with Smith providing the assists on both, then Smith scored herself to help the Seahawks create separation. Galan and Rogers got shots on goal but were unable to connect, then with just seconds remaining in the third, Salve Regina scored once again to push their lead up to five goals after three periods. After a shot attempt by the Leopards went wide, the Seahawks were able to add to their lead in the fourth, as Smith scored just past the six-minute mark to make it an 11-5 game. Two minutes later, two goals in a 33-second span put the home team ahead by eight, as Periera and Ventura built the Salve Regina lead to 13-5 with six minutes remaining. Rogers scored a late goal for the Leopards with 2:40 remaining on a free-position attempt, but the Seahawks took the victory with a 13-6 decision in conference play.

NOTES

• The Seahawks took 35 shots while Wentworth took 20, and Salve Regina had 12 ground balls to the Leopards' six.
• Salve Regina was 13-of-14 on clears, and the Leopards were 13-for-18.

THE SERIES

• This is the ninth all-time matchup between the teams, with the Seahawks winning all nine contests.