WALTHAM, Mass. – Bentley University closed out the 2009 regular season in impressive fashion with a 25-7 trouncing of Saint Anselm Friday night in Northeast-10 women's lacrosse. The 25 goals scored is a new program record for most goals in a single game. Senior Alyssa Ritchie (North Andover, Mass./North Andover) led the way with nine points on seven goals and two assists.

The win snaps a two-game losing streak for Bentley, who finishes the regular season with a record of 9-8 and 7-3 in the NE-10. The Falcons have already clinched a playoff spot and will play Merrimack in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, April 29. If Merrimack loses to Southern Connecticut on Saturday, Bentley will be the fourth-seed and will host the game, if Merrimack wins, they will host.

Saint Anselm, who could have clinched the sixth and final playoff spot with a win, was never really in the game. Bentley jumped out to a 4-0 lead a little over 3:30 into the contest and never looked back. Saint Anselm scored the next goal, but that three-goal deficit was its smallest of the game.

After a Hawks goal made the score 9-3 with 12:42 left in the half, Bentley scored the final six goals of the half to lead 15-3 at the break.

Bentley led by as much as 20 goals at 24-4 after freshman Kerrin Kasianowicz (Scituate, Mass./Scituate) scored her second of the game. Ritchie netted her seventh goal of the game with 38 seconds left, which broke the aforementioned record.

Junior Jaclyn Griffin (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) had a big game with five goals, three assists and 11 draw controls. Junior Kim Morris (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs) had three goals and one assist; her first goal was the 100th point of her career. Sophomore Leigh Tedeschi (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) and junior Erica de Silva (Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) had two goals apiece.

With her nine points, Ritchie is now just six away from breaking the NE-10 career points record of 326.

2009-04-25