WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ- Monmouth University's women's lacrosse (3-7, 1-0 MAAC) team never trailed in a 14-8 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opening win against Quinnipiac (4-5, 0-1 MAAC) on Saturday afternoon on Hesse Field.
 
The Hawks got goals from seven different players while goalie Riley Brager (Reisterstown, MD/Roland Park) made nine saves, including six in the second half when the defense allowed just three goals. Senior Alexa Smith (Westhampton Beach, NY/Westhampton Beach) led the Hawks offensively with four goals, while Jenny Staines (Silver Spring, MD/Good Counsel) and Claudia LaMarca (West Long Branch, NJ/Shore Regional) each had five points in the win.
 
Smith scored back to back goals to start the game with Staines adding a third to give MU a 3-0 lead less than five minutes into the game. QU's Jenna Henningsen scored her first of three goals to cut the lead to 3-1 but Monmouth reeled off three more unanswered to go up 6-1. Quinnipiac scored four more times while the Hawks registered goals from Allison Turturro (Sound Beach, NY/Miller Place) and Smith's third to take a 8-5 lead into the break.
 
The Monmouth defense clamped down in the second half, keeping Quinnipiac off the scoreboard for the first 11 minutes of the frame while the Hawks' lead grew to 12-5. QU used three straight markers to close the lead to 12-8 before LaMarca tallied a pair of unassisted goals to close out the game.
 
NOTES & QUOTES

"I thought it was a full team effort which I really appreciated. I was proud of the effort from the bench to the goalies to the offense, everyone was involved in the energy and the excitement." Monmouth Head Coach Jordan Trautman
 
"We went into a different defense today, which was more high energy, high tempo. We had more fouls but I think it was creating more confidence and they were just playing instead of thinking about it and we made more risky decisions." Trautman on the defensive energy of the team against QU
 
"It is huge to start conference play with a win, we had been talking about how important conference play is. So to say it and then actually show up with a win is going to help the momentum and confidence of the team." Trautman on what starting off conference play with a win means
 

• Alexa Smith scored a goal for the 16^th consecutive game, she now leads the team with 23 goals
• With her second goal of the game Smith became the 13th player in school history to record 100 career goals. She currently has 102 goals, which is 12th most in program history and just four back from tying Olivia Higson '17 for 11th.
• Monmouth is now 20-5 all-time against Quinnipiac
• The Hawks returned home for the first time in almost a month after opening the season with five straight home games
• Staines had a pair of goals and three assists
• Freshman Caroline Bleck recorded her first career goal in the first half
• Freshman Michelle Armstrong recorded four draw controls for the Hawks

NUMBERS CRUNCH

• Monmouth led in shots 27-24
• The teams combined for a 4-of-14 on free position attempts
• The Hawks were whistled for 35 fouls, compared to 23 for the Bobcats
• The teams each won 12 draw controls apiece
• Bobcat Kiera Kelly had seven caused turnovers and eight ground balls, many of which were called drawn charges
• Senior Caroline Corbliss had two goals, two draw controls, two ground balls and three caused turnovers
• Junior Monica Cortes had three draw controls on defense for the Hawks

 
UP NEXT
The Hawks will have a week off before facing Marist next Saturday at 3 PM. That game will air on the Red Fox Network.