New Rochelle, N.Y. - The La Salle University women's lacrosse team dropped the opening game of the 2023 season in a 8-11 loss to Iona. Junior midfielder, Maddie Henderson, tallied two goals for the Explorers, as well as new Explorer, Alana Lathan. 

How it Happened –

• Iona opened the scoring early in the first period, taking a 2-0 lead within the first 2:30 minutes into the game.
• Maddie Henderson scored the first goal of the 2023 season for the Explorers with 11 minutes left in the first. The junior fought her way past two defenders before taking a shot in front of the goalie to make it 1-2.
• A foul on Iona with 7:42 left in the first period gave Henderson an opportunity to tie the game up. The free-position goal was shot low and under the goalie's stick for Henderson's second goal of the contest tying things up at 2-2.
• Iona then scored three goals before the first period ended to make it 5-2 Gaels going into the second.
• The loan goal in the second period came from Alana Lathan, her first goal as an Explorer. The game was 5-3 Iona going to the half.
• Iona started to pull away in the third period, taking an 8-3 lead, but Claudia Steinmetz earned her first goal of the season to cut the lead in half.
• A man-up, and having a free-position shot, Tori Rolon did not waste the opportunity. The shot went right under the goalie and into the back of the net making it 8-5 Iona.
• After an Iona goal, Lathan got on the board with her second goal of the game. The score was now 6-9.
• Iona was only up by two after an Ellen Stickney free-position goal gave La Salle their seventh goal. This was Stickney's first goal as an Explorer.
• Another free-position opportunity allowed Mackenzie Click to make the game a one goal deficit for La Salle. Her shot went under the stick of the goalie to make it 8-9 Iona.
• Click's goal was the last one of the game for La Salle as Iona went on to score twice more before the game was over.

 
Inside the Numbers –

• Iona led the way in shots with 32 total, 20 on goal. La Salle had 20 total shots, 17 being on goal.
• Saves for both goalies were tied at nine a piece.
• Each team had 11 draw-control wins.
• La Salle led in free-position shots with 10 opposed to Iona's five.
• Henderson and Lathan led the scoring for La Salle, each with two goals.
• Tori Rolon led the Explorers with four shots taken.

 
Up Next –

• The Explorers will travel back to Philadelphia on Saturday, February 18^th as they take on the Penn Quakers at 1:00 p.m.
• The game will be held at Franklin Field and will stream on ESPN+.