Purple Knights finish season with Senior Day triumph over nationally-regarded Queens
COLCHESTER, Vt. - Freshman Sarah Fortin (Dover, N.H./Saint Thomas Aquinas) snapped an 8-8 tie with 13:38 remaining, and the Saint Michael's College women's lacrosse team completed its season with an 11-9 Senior Day triumph over nationally-regarded Queens (N.Y.) College on Sunday at Duffy Field. The Purple Knights broke an eight-game skid and finish with a 4-12 mark, while the Knights, who received votes toward this week's Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) national poll, fall to 9-6.
Freshman Kate Boyer (Standish, Maine/Bonny Eagle) tallied her second hat trick in as many days for the Purple Knights, while sophomore Crystal King (South Burlington, Vt./South Burlington) tallied twice. Senior Eliza Scoba (Franklin, Mass./Franklin) and sophomore Shannon Murphy (Boxboro, Mass./Acton-Boxboro Regional/UMass) each scored a goal and added an assist. Scoba finishes sixth in career goals (102) at Saint Michael's, seventh in points (138) and ninth in assists (36) while tying the record for games played (60). Freshman Melissa Jaskiewicz (Kensington, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase) had four draw controls and caused three turnovers, while classmate Hannah Beardsley (Essex, Mass./Manchester Essex Regional) had a goal, three ground balls and three caused turnovers. Senior Sandy Palumbo (Guilford, Conn./Guilford) made nine saves, finishing third in program history with 549 career stops.
Junior Heather Rosen (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem East) led the Knights with four markers, while five players scored one goal apiece. Junior Ellen Kleeman (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) made six saves in 47:46 before sophomore Kahli Evans (Adelaide, Australia/Blackwood) took the loss, stopping three shots in 12:14.
The Knights led 4-1 by 15:03 of the opening half, with Rosen sandwiching her first two markers around a Scoba tally, and 5-2 at 13:16 before the hosts scored the final four goals of the half. Boyer, King and sophomore Claire Martin (Mattapoisett, Mass./Bishop Stang) all scored in a 2:29 span, and King capped the run with a go-ahead marker at 4:33.
Rosen struck 1:41 into the second half, as the squads alternated six straight goals, with Beardsley and Boyer each tallying a goal in that stretch. After the visitors forced the third tie of the half, 8-8 at 15:43, Fortin responded 2:05 later off a pass from Scoba, giving Saint Michael's the lead for good. Sophomore Alexa Coleman (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet Regional) extended the lead to 10-8 at 7:42 before Rosen tallied at 2:37, but Murphy added an insurance marker when she converted on a man-up opportunity with 1:15 remaining in the contest.
As part of Senior Day, Palumbo, Scoba and classmate Meghan Hayes (East Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) were all honored prior to the contest.
