Belles Shut Down Scarlet Hawks
CHICAGO, Ill. - The Saint Mary's lacrosse team broke through for the first two goals of the game and never looked back on their way to a 14-2 win against Illinois Tech on Thursday night.
Controlling the possession early, the Belles were able to break through in the seventh minute of play when Sarah Neeser attacked the goal from straight ahead and buried her first goal of the season with 23:46 on the clock. Emilie Vanneste quickly made it a 2-0 game in favor of the Belles with an unassisted goal of her own just 37 seconds later.
The Scarlet Hawks responded with a goal less than two minutes later, but the momentum shifted back in favor of the Belles quickly. Vanneste fed two passes to Hanna Makowski in space, and Makowski put both shots away to make it 4-1 with 18:25 left in the first half.
Emilie Vanneste had seven points
to lead the Belles against
Illinois Tech.After Vanneste added her second goal of the half, Maria Roberts turned defense into instant offense. Roberts knocked down the Scarlet Hawks' goalkeeper's clearing pass at the edge of the crease, picked up the ball, and sent home the close-range shot to push the Saint Mary's lead to 6-1 with 13:23 remaining in the first period.
Four minutes later, Colleen Conway received a pass at the edge of the restraining line and cut up the field toward the goal on a 2-on-1 opportunity for the Belles. The senior made a fake to her left and came back to her right into wide open space before carrying the ball another 10 yards and scoring from inside the 8-meter fan.
Clare Theisen ballooned the Belles' lead to 9-1 before the halftime break with a pair of goals - one from each side of the field - in the final 4:10 of play.
As the second half opened up, the Belles quickly pushed the lead to double digits. Vanneste converted a free position attempt and added another goal four minutes later to make it 11-1 Saint Mary's with 22:22 to go.
The Scarlet Hawks got one back midway through the half, but the Belles continued to be the aggressors while keeping the Illinois Tech offense at bay. Theisen and Vanneste each added another goal, and Abby Krauss closed out the game with a goal in the final seconds to lift the Belles to the 14-2 win.
Emilie Vanneste matched the program's high mark for points in a game with seven after a five goal, two assist performance. Clare Theisen posted her third consecutive multi-goal game with three goals, and Hanna Makowski added a pair of goals. Abby Krauss, Sarah Neeser, Maria Roberts, and Colleen Conway each chipped in a goal for the Belles in the win.
Shannon Weyer earned the win in goal after making four saves and allowing a season-low two goals. The two goals allowed also marks the fewest goals allowed in a single game in the program's two-year history.
The Belles (3-3) return home to host John Carroll on Saturday, March 28 starting at 2:00 p.m.