Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - Toni Massetti and Alanna Diffendal recorded hat tricks as the La Salle lacrosse squad topped California 10-6 in the nonconference finale at McCarthy Stadium on Monday evening. The Explorers wrapped up nonconference play with a 6-3 record, and now have an 11-day break before the start of Atlantic 10 play on April 4.

Massetti put together a terrific all-around game, draining three goals while grabbing four ground balls, recording three caused turnovers and snagging two draw controls. The rookie has exploded lately, and now has 10 goals combined in the last three games after scoring three total in the first six games of her career.

Diffendal added three scores off the bench along with one assist to reach double-digit points on the season. She has now converted eight of nine shots on goal into scores this season.

Erin McCabe added two goals tonight, and Katelyn Fay and Allee Ilgenfritz scored one apiece.

Defensively, Kaitlin Colbridge recorded three ground balls. Caitlyn Brostrand, although being held scoreless for the first time this season, recorded two caused turnovers, two draw controls and two ground balls.

Bella Huther led Cal (2-4) with four goals.

Scoring was difficult to come by early on. Cal's Gaby Christman got the Golden Bears on the board first, converting an unassisted shot with 25:44 on the clock.

McCabe snagged a woman-up goal at 19:44 for the Explorers' first score before Huther drained her first two minutes later to put the visitors up 2-1 at 17:54.

Massetti answered with back-to-back goals at 15:04 and 12:12 to put the Explorers on top for good. Following a scoreless seven minutes after Massetti's second score, Ilgenfritz found the back of the net at 5:22. McCabe took a feed from Diffendal just over two minutes later for the Explorers' fourth straight goal and a 5-2 lead.

Cal got one back when Christman found Huther at 2:02 to put the score at 5-3.

Diffendal then drained a woman-up goal with six seconds remaining in the half after Christman drew her second yellow card of the game. Christman, the Bears' second-leading goal scorer, was forced to the sidelines for the remainder of the contest.

Huther snagged her third goal just over two minutes into the second half to cut the La Salle lead to 6-4 but that was the closest Cal would get down the stretch.

La Salle rattled off three straight within a two-minute span to take a 9-4 lead. Fay drained a goal at 19:38, followed by Massetti's third at 19:13, and capped off by Diffendal's second at 17:49.

The teams went without a goal after that until Huther notched her fourth with 8:51 remaining. Diffendal got one more on a Maggie O'Ferrall assist with 2:24 remaining to take a 10-5 lead, and Cal's Amelia Burke rounded out the scoring with 1:45 on the clock for the final 10-6 score.

The Explorers edged Cal in nearly every category, including shots (21-17), ground balls (23-19) and draw controls (10-8).

The Explorers return to action on Friday, April 4, when they head to Massachusetts for the Atlantic 10 opener.