The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Lacrosse team dropped their 2019 ECC conference opener to the Molloy College Lions, 18-8 on Saturday at Spartan Field.
Kaitlyn Gutenberger picked up five goals for the Spartans, while Jennifer Farrell chipped in two goals and Leanna Iobbi one on the afternoon.
The visiting Lions got themselves on the scoreboard with three consecutive goals in the first eight minutes of the contest, as Briana Wilson (2) and Cassie Caiazza tallied to make it a quick 3-0 Molloy lead. Leanna Iobbi got the Spartans on the stat sheet minutes later, cutting it to a two-goal deficit at 3-1. Another offensive outburst by Molloy soon followed, this time of the five consecutive goal variety, as Wilson (2), Caiazza (2) and Kara Rosenberg all scored to push the visitor's lead to 8-1. Kaitlyn Gutenberger then got one back for STAC, making it 8-2, before yet another Molloy goal barrage, with Amanda Reyes, Wilson, Caiazza and Megan Schiaffo all lighting the lamp to extend the Lions lead to 12-2 at the half.
Second half action saw the Spartans get the scoring started, as Gutenberger picked up her second of the game, making it 12-3. Molloy's Jillian Mayr would score her first of the day pushing the lead back to ten at 13-3. The teams would then trade goals with Gutenberger scoring the hat trick, before Reyes picked up her second of the day, giving Molloy the 14-4 advantage. Gutenberger tallied her fourth and fifth goals of the day pushing the score to 14-6, but Wilson would not be denied, as she knotted her sixth of the day, making it a 15-6 Lions lead with just under sixteen minutes remaining in the game. Jennifer Farrell would get one back for STAC on a free position attempt, however Michaela Siegler and Wilson score back-to-back goals in the span of two minutes, giving the visitors a 17-7 advantage. Farrell would close out the Spartan scoring on the day with her second of the game, while Seigler would do the same for the Lions, wapping things up at 18-8.
Goalies Laura Delorenzo (L, 0-2/43:19) and Katherine Feigenbaum (16:41) shared the cage for STAC, with Delorenzo registering 11 saves and Feigenbaum picking up 3. In the Lions net, Allie Long (W, 7-2) went the distance and picked up 8 saves.
Molloy held a 36-23 shots advantage in the contest.
St. Thomas Aquinas (2-4) hits the road for four games away from Spartan Field. STAC gets the trip started by making the local visit to Nyack College on Wednesday, March 20. The opening draw with the Warriors gets underway at 3pm.