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Women’s Lacrosse Felled at No. 2 Adelphi, 21-7

Women’s Lacrosse Felled at No. 2 Adelphi, 21-7

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (March 14, 2018) – Sophomore attack Alison Johnson piled up nine points on three goals and six assists for No. 2 nationally ranked Adelphi on Wednesday afternoon, as the home standing Panthers defeated the Franklin Pierce University women's lacrosse team, 21-7. Senior midfielder Caitlin Sweeney (Shirley, N.Y.) tallied a hat trick in defeat for Franklin Pierce, while sophomore attack Allison Stackpole scored a game-high four times for Adelphi in the Northeast-10 Conference contest at Motamed Field.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 2-1 (0-1 NE10), while Adelphi -- the defending national champion -- improves to 3-1 (2-0 NE10).

Adelphi struck for the first six goals of the afternoon and never looked back. Johnson dished out five of her six assists, and scored a goal as well, in the opening surge. Sophomore attack Kole Pollock opened the game with her 17th and 18th goals of the season, and later added her third of the day to cap the run as well, completing her hat trick just 15:15 into the proceedings.

Franklin Pierce would mostly hold its own for the remainder of the first half, with Adelphi amassing only a 6-4 edge the rest of the way to take a 12-4 lead into halftime. Caitlin Sweeney tallied a pair of goals in the first half for the Ravens, while twin sister Briana Sweeney (Shirley, N.Y.) put home a goal as well. A free-position goal by freshman midfielder Zoe Totland (Salt Lake City, Utah) finished off Franklin Pierce's first-half scoring. For Adelphi, Johnson added two more goals before the break, while sophomore midfielder Alyssa Gillespie rounded out the period with a pair of goals in the final five minutes.

Caitlin Sweeney capped her hat trick with her 11th goal of the season 2:47 into the second half, but then Adelphi put the game on ice. The Panthers rattled off the next eight goals over a span of 17:53 to push the lead all the way out to 20-5. Junior attack Lena Riportella scored twice to open the run, while Stackpole later scored three straight goals in a span of 4:03.

Franklin Pierce scored two of the final three goals -- with freshman attack Caroline Lounsbury (Franklin, Mass.) notching a goal and an assist -- to create the 21-7 final.

Franklin Pierce -- which has converted on 30 of 33 clears so far this year (90.9%) -- continued to be efficient in clearing its own end when given the opportunity. The Ravens were successful on 12 of their 13 clear attempts, despite facing one of the nation's top teams.

Though it was ultimately undone in part by 20 turnovers, the Ravens also succeeded in generating possessions against the Panthers where many have not, as Franklin Pierce snagged 16 draw controls, to just 12 for Adelphi. Both Sweeney sisters and Totland collected five draw controls apiece to lead the way in that department. Ultimately though, the Ravens generated just 16 shots on goal on the afternoon.

Briana Sweeney led the way defensively for Franklin Pierce, as she posted a team-high three ground balls and a team-best three caused turnovers.

For Adelphi, Johnson (3-6-9), Stackpole (4-2-6) and Pollock (3-3-6) did all the heavy lifting offensively, though 10 Panthers registered at least one point on the day. Notably, no Adelphi player had more than two ground balls or two caused turnovers. Of Franklin Pierce's 20 turnovers, 12 came without being forced by somebody on the Adelphi defense.

Sophomore goalkeeper Casey Butera (West Milford, N.J.) started and made three saves against 20 shots on goal over the opening 44:10 while taking the loss for Franklin Pierce. Freshman netminder Emma Lemanski (2-0) also logged the first 44:10 for Adelphi and made seven saves against 12 shots to pick up the win.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, March 17, when they travel to New Haven for an NE10 contest. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at Kathy Zolad Stadium in West Haven, Conn.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce lacrosse apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).