Feb. 28, 2008
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA, PA - Emily Bonczek scored a game-high five goals and assisted on another, but the La Salle lacrosse team fell in its home opener to Lehigh, 13-10. Allie Venuti added two goals for the Explorers, who dropped to 0-2 on the year.
La Salle appeared to be unaffected by the frigid temperatures early on, as they raced out to a 3-1 lead. Bonczek got the Explorers on the board five minutes into the game with her first goal of the year. After Lehigh tied the game at 1-1, Bonczek netted her second goal and Venuti scored on a free position shot to give La Salle a two-goal advantage.
After the Explorers took a 4-2 lead, Lehigh rattled off five-straight goals to go ahead 7-4 with 5:16 to play in the first half. However, the La Salle defense tightened up and held the Mountain Hawks scoreless for the remainder of the opening frame.
Bonczek scored the first La Salle goal in over 12 minutes at the 2:50 mark in the first half, cutting the deficit to 7-5. Consecutive goals from Erika Matthews and Nikki McCurdy knotted the score at seven-all heading into halftime.
Lauren Dykstra gave Lehigh an 8-7 lead less than a minute into the second half with her second goal of the day, but Stefany McKee would tie the score once again with her score at the 24:51 mark. A free position shot from Bonczek less than a minute later gave La Salle its first lead since early in the first half, at 9-8.
Lehigh would tie the score at 9-9, but Bonczek's fifth goal of the afternoon once again put the Explorers up by one.
Unfortunately for La Salle, that would be their final score of the day. Lehigh's Allison Thomas scored consecutive goals to give the Mountain Hawks an 11-10 lead, while Sara MacIntyre and Dykstra added insurance goals down the stretch.
Freshman Mara Schnellenbach started in goal, recording four saves. She was relieved in the second half by Ellen Axelsen, who also stopped four shots. Kaylan Billingsley scooped up a game-high three groundballs for La Salle.
Dykstra led the Mountain Hawks with four goals on the afternoon. Kelsy Ferris picked up the win, recording 10 saves, as Lehigh improved to 3-1 on the year.
The Explorers return to action this Sunday, taking the road to face Monmouth at 1:00 PM.
