SBU Sports: Women’s lacrosse rolls to home opener win over Michigan

For the first time since the 2015 season, the Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team opened its season at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium on Feb. 17 and rolled past the Michigan Wolverines, 17-10.

Michigan got off to an early lead, scoring the first goal of the game within the first two minutes of the contest. However, that would not last long as Stony Brook’s offense picked up right where they left off last season.

Junior midfielder Jaden Hampel fueled the Seawolves offense, tallying a career-high five goals to lead all players in the contest. Hampel’s first two goals came back-to-back early in the first quarter. The junior finished the first one off an assist from senior midfielder Charlotte Verhulst to tie the Wolverines, 1-1. Within less than two minutes, Hampel found the back of the cage again to give Stony Brook a 2-1 lead.

The Seawolves would not look back as the squad would go on to score nine of the 11 goals to end the first half. Junior midfielder Ellie Masera recorded her first hattrick of the season, scoring three of her four goals in the second quarter alone.

Midway through the third quarter, Stony Brook captured back-to-back goals in one minute by Hampel, a man-up goal byssenior attacker Morgan Mitchell and a goal by Masera, all one after another, gave the Seawolves a 15-4 lead, its largest lead of the match.

With 11:27 remaining in the game, Michigan’s Josie Gooch found the goal which would spark four more Wolverine goals in the fourth. However, goals from Mo. Mitchell and sophomore midfielder Alexandra Fusco would secure the lead for the Seawolves and ultimately the 17-10 victory.

“I am definitely proud of our athletes, I thought we came out against a top-20 team and had a great effort,” said head coach Joe Spallina. “I thought the first half was super-efficient. I think coming into your first game you always worry about doing too many first game things, especially with the other team having already played a couple of games, but our athletes stepped up and played really well. I thought we were efficient; goals were spread around, and I think that is a little different then where we have been in the past where we just have so many different weapons. Defensively, early on especially, we were locked down and we were in running time for most of the second half against a top-20 team, so we have a lot to build on for us.”

The team returns to Kenneth P. LaValle stadium on Feb. 25 to take on Yale. First draw is scheduled for 12 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on FloSports.