Utica Downs Wellesley Lacrosse, 16-8

UTICA, N.Y. -- Utica College scored the first eight goals of the game en route to a 16-8 victory over Wellesley College lacrosse in non-conference play on Saturday afternoon at Charles A. Gaetano Field. 

Sophomore Lexi Scaccia (Whitesboro, N.Y.) scored a career-high seven goals to lead the Pioneers (3-0 overall). Scaccia was one of four Utica players to finish with multiple goals in the contest, as senior Katlyn Scarpinella (South Setauket, N.Y.) added four goals and juniors Lauren Wolff (Peabody, Mass.) and Stephanie Husnay (Whitesboro, N.Y.) each scored a pair. Scaccia also scooped-up a game-high five ground balls and six draw controls while causing three turnovers in the contest. 

Wellesley sophomore Izzy Burdick (Scarborough, Maine) continued her hot start to the season, scoring two goals and adding three assists to lead the Blue. Junior Ella Matticks (Minneapolis, Minn.) chipped in a pair of goals, while sophomore Eleanor Mallett (Berwick, Maine) scored two goals and had an assist in her first action of the 2020 campaign. Seniors Maya Sullivan (Cumberland, R.I.) and Dee Dee Lennon-Jones (Redmond, Wash.) tied for team-high honors with three ground ball apiece.

Scaccia scored six goals in the game's opening 15 minutes as part of an 8-0 Utica run that put the hosts ahead, 8-0, by the 15:12 mark of the first. Burdick snapped the streak with her first of the game and seventh of the season at 14:38, as Wellesley scored four of the next five goals in the contest to cut the deficit to 9-4. However, the Pioneers closed out the half on a 3-0 run that made the score 12-4 at the break. 

Wolff opened the second half scoring at 29:34, finishing on a feed from Husnay to extend the Utica advantage to 13-4. Matticks responded for the Blue at 27:33 to make the score 13-5, but three straight Utica goals put a Wellesley comeback bid out of reach. Scarpinella netted her fourth at 11:50 to cap the rally and make the score 16-5. Wellesley got three late markers, as Matticks, Louise Conaty (Wilmington, Del.), and Mallett each found the net in the final eight minutes to make the final score 16-8. 

Wellesley sophomore goalkeeper Lorna Li (Taunton, Mass.) turned back nine shots in the setback. Hali Vandermeulen (Walden, N.Y.) and Claire Frier (Lafayette, N.Y.) combined for six saves for Utica. Frier earned her second win of the season with a four save effort in relief. The Pioneers finished the contest with a 38-21 advantage in shots and a 27-20 edge in ground balls. 

Wellesley will take on Albright tomorrow morning, March 8, at 11:00 AM at SUNY Polytechnic's Wildcat Field. Utica will travel to Morrisville State on Wednesday, March 11, for a 4:00 PM contest.