March 15, 2008

Boxscore

LAURINBURG, N.C.—Sophomore Laurie Jordan (Davidsonville, Md.) and freshman Kristyn Kinsey (Severna Park, Md.) each scored four goals to lead No. 10 nationally ranked Belmont Abbey College to an 16-8 Conference Carolinas women’s lacrosse victory over host St. Andrews Presbyterian College on Saturday afternoon.

The Crusaders used a 9-4 second half to pull away to the eight-goal victory improving to 6-3 overall and 3-1 in the conference.

A trio of Lady Knights (3-5; 1-3) scored multiple goals including a hat trick by sophomore Kerrie Brown (Irondequoit, N.Y.) and two goals apiece by freshman Alexis Goldman (Winter Springs, Fla.) and junior Kelsey Binggeli (Newark, N.Y.).

The Abbey took a 7-4 halftime lead with six different Crusaders scoring in the first 30 minutes.

Junior Shannon Farden (Oswego, N.Y.) scored 15 seconds into the game but St. Andrews bounced back with the next two goals to take their only lead of the afternoon at 2-1. Brown scored just nine seconds after Farden while junior Courtney Ross (Newark, N.Y.) put the Knights on top with a goal in the sixth minute.

Belmont Abbey responded with the six of the last eight goals in the first half to take a three goal advantage at the midway break. Sophomore Brianna Dignan (Nashua, N.H.) tied the contest for the final time at 2-2 as the Crusaders went on a 5-0 run. Jordan, who assisted on Dignan’s goal, then scored the next BAC goal to put the visitors ahead for the rest of the game.

Goldman scored the first goal of the second half to pull the Knights within two, 7-5, but Belmont Abbey pulled away with their second 5-0 run of the day. The Crusaders edged St. Andrews 4-3 in the final 15 minutes to coast to the eight-goal conference win.

The Abbey had a commanding 48-23 shot advantage but junior goalkeeper Eryn McCaffrey (Cicero, N.Y.) made 19 saves to keep the Knights in the game until late. Crusaders’ junior counterpart Kate Gavin (Pasadena, Md.) stopped seven shots en route to the victory between the pipes.

BAC held a slim 15-13 ground ball advantage while winning 15-of-26 draw controls. The Crusaders converted on 3-of-7 free-position shots whereas SAPC was 2-for-9.

Dignan, Farden, and sophomore Tara Chmil (Lake Mary, Fla.) all had two goals for the Abbey.

Junior Katie Wright (Waterloo, N.Y.) dished out a game-high two assists for the Knights while classmate Farran Sanders (Hickory, N.C.) had one helper. Brown increased her team-high goal total to 34 goals in eight games (4.25 goals/game).

St. Andrews next travels to conference foe Lees-McRae College (Banner Elk, N.C.) on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. while Belmont Abbey visits league rival Pfeiffer University (Misenheimer, N.C.) on Thursday at 3:00 p.m.