The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Lacrosse team picked up their first road win of the 2019 season with a 17-13 decision over Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut on Thursday afternoon.
Kaitlyn Gutenberger and Gabrielle Di Fusco scored 6 goals each on the afternoon, while Leanna Iobbi chipped in three of her own and Arielle Rodriguez and Emily Glennon tallied a goal apiece. Katherine Feigenbaum got the start in net for STAC and made 5 saves, before Laura Delorenzo closed out the contest, making 2 saves in a relief appearance.
Post got things started with a Morgan Cassiliano goal just over 90 seconds into the game, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Minutes later Kaitlyn Gutenberger would tie things up on a STAC free postition shot. The teams then traded goals with Savannah Schwack tallying for the home squad and Gutenberger getting her second of the game, squaring things at 2 goals apiece. Schwack then scored twice more for Post, before Gabrielle Di Fusco and Arielle Rodriguez would like the lamp for the Spartans back-to-back, bring the scoreboard back to even at 4-4. Julia Thomas, Cassiliano and Schwack would push the Eagles lead to 7-4, but Leanna Iobbi and Di Fusco would each score with around 10 minutes left in the first half, making it a 7-6 Post University lead as the teams headed to the locker room for the intermission break.
In the second half, St. Thomas Aquinas quickly took an 8-7 lead, as Di Fusco and Gutenberger would light the lamp for the visitors in maroon and gold. However, Post would retake the lead on the strength of two goals by Aolani Hermosura, giving them the advantage at 9-8. The seesaw affair would continue with Di Fusco and Iobbi netting goals to bring the scoreboard back to a 10-9 STAC lead. The home team Eagles would not bow to the Spartans so quick, as Cassiliano would score twice more with another Iobbi STAC goal sandwiched in between, making it 11-11 with just over 15 minutes remaining in the contest. STAC's quick strike offense took over the final 13 minutes of this one, with Gutenberger scoring three more times, giving her 6 goals on the day, Di Fusco scoring twice more, giving her a half dozen goals on the afternoon and Emily Glennon getting herself on the stat sheet with a tally of her own. Schwack and Cassiliano each picked up their fifth goals of the day for the Eagles, but it wasn't enough as St. Thomas Aquinas closed this one out with the 17-13 win.
STAC goalies Katherine Feigenbaum (W, 2-1) 47:03 and Laura Delorenzo 12:57 patrolled the Spartan cage, while Christina Badaracco (L, 1-2) went the distance for Post and made 18 saves.
The Spartans had a decisive 41-22 shots advantage for the game.
St. Thomas Aquinas (2-3) returns home to host Molloy College on Saturday, March 16 at Spartan Field. Opening draw is set for 1pm.