Marchand Backstops Saints to 12-9 Victory Over Wesleyan

Mar. 11: The St. Lawrence University women's lacrosse team improved to 2-0 on the young season on Thursday, as the Saints used a late seven-goal run and a brilliant performance in goal by junior Anna Marchand to rally past Wesleyan, 12-9, in West Palm Beach, FL.

The Saints used a balance offensive attack to remain unbeaten in 2010, as seven different players scored for the Scarlet and Brown.  Despite outshooting St. Lawrence 34-25, scooping up 13 more ground balls and causing 30 turnovers, Wesleyan suffered the loss to fall to 2-2 on the year.

"Anna (Marchand) had an outstanding day," said St. Lawrence head coach Jodi Canfield.  "Wesleyan really worked to pressure us and trap in the midfield and took some getting used to."

Both teams battled very windy conditions which proved to affect the transition game.  After falling behind 1-0 in the opening two minutes, St. Lawrence responded with three goals in five minutes to build a 3-1 lead.  Sophomore Alanna Piroli scored her first of four goals to tie the game, and after classmate Leah Houston scored, Piroli put the Saints ahead by two at 3-1 with 19:51 left in the first half.

Lydia Kring and Jess Chukwu scored goals only 1:45 apart to even the scoring at 3-3, while St. Lawrence junior Kim Morse and Kring would exchange goals to cap the first half scoring at 4-4.

Though Wesleyan would score three goals of the first four goals to set the tone in the second stanza, the Saints used a brilliant seven-goal run that lasted over 12 minutes to catapult themselves into position to win the game.  Trailing 7-5 with 22:15 left in regulation, sophomore Nora Langan and senior captain Lexi Wisnowski scored to tie the contest at 7-7.  Senior captain Mary Jane Sweetland, who scored the game-tying goal in the Saints' dramatic win over Bridgewater State, then put her team on top 8-7 with an unassisted tally with 17:08 to play.

St. Lawrence continued to roll, as Wisnowski, Piroli and first-year student Brigid Hurley continued to add offense.  Wisnowski scored her third goal of the game with 13:57 showing, while Piroli and Hurley followed to open up an 11-7 cushion.  Piroli then capped her four-goal outing and the team's scoring with 7:37 remaining, giving St. Lawrence a solid 12-7 advantage.

Meanwhile, at the far end of the field, Marchand was playing arguably her best collegiate game between the pipes.  The Concord, MA native made a career-best 16 saves including 10 in the second half to protect her team's lead.  Though the Cardinals were able to score twice in the final three minutes of regulation, the Saints hung on for the 12-9 victory.

St. Lawrence will look to start with a 3-0 record for the first time since 2005 when it faces Fredonia State tomorrow, Friday, March 12 at 10:00am.  The game is the last for the Saints during the team's spring trip, though the Scarlet and Brown will return to action for the 2010 home opener on Saturday, March 20 against Elmira College.