Kelly leads Seahawks over the Eagles

MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – An eight-goal first half, highlighted by senior Grace Kelly's (Auburn, N.Y.) four goals, led the Salve Regina women's lacrosse team to a 13-3 win over Husson, Wednesday afternoon.

The win lifts the Seahawks to 2-2 on the season while the Eagles search of their first win of the season and stand at 0-4 on the year.

Juniors Sarah Woods (East Lyme, Conn.) and Gina Tortorici (Deer Park, N.Y.) scored back to back goals in the first 3:36 to give Salve Regina a 2-0 lead quickly into the game. After drawing a pair of fouls inside the arc, Kelly scored her first two goals of the game on free position shots to extend Salve Regina's lead to 4-0.

Senior Karley Malenczak (Sayville, N.Y.) took a pass from Kelly with 17:46 to go in the opening half to net her second goal of the season to give Salve Regina a 5-0 lead. Woods and Kelly then went back-to-back with unassisted goals before Kelly handed out her third assist of the half to junior Mary-Ashley Donelan (Upton, Mass.) with just three seconds before half time to push SRU's lead to 8-0 at the half.

Freshman Courtney Moulton (Merrimack, N.H.) scored her second of the season just under two minutes into the second half to extend the Seahawk lead to 9-0. Woods notched back-to-back goals before freshman Kaitlin Gillespie (Haddam, Conn.) notched the Seahawks 12^th-straight goal to extend the lead to 12-0 with 15:06 to play.

Caitlyn Stauffer (Brookfield, Conn.) got the Eagles on the board with 13:12 to play before Abi Staab (Berlin, Vt.) registered Husson's second-straight goal to cut the Seahawk lead to 12-2. Gillespie scored her second goal of the game to push the lead back to 11 goals at 13-2 with five minutes to play. Mattie Russell scored the game's last goal with 3:01 left on the clock to bring the score to its final, 13-3.

Senior Josephine O'Reilly (Middletown, R.I.) needed just nine saves in the win for Salve Regina and stopped all six free position shots she faced. Husson goalie freshman Kaitlin Dolloff (Richmond, R.I.) made 10 saves in the loss for the Eagles.

Kelly finished the day with three goals and three assists to lead the Seahawks while Woods added four goals.

Salve Regina returns to action when the Seahawks host Eastern Connecticut State on Friday at 4:30 p.m.