SCRANTON, Pa.-The University of Scranton women's lacrosse team locked up the number three seed in the upcoming Landmark Conference tournament by defeating Goucher College, 18-8, Saturday at Fitzpatrick Field.

It wasn't as easy as the final score indicated. Goucher cut a 10-3 halftime deficit down to three early in the second half before Royal sophomore attacker Caroline Pryor (Robbinsville, N.J./Notre Dame) kick-started a game-ending 8-1 run with back-to-back goals during a four-minute as Scranton ended its regular season with an 8-6 overall record and a 3-2 mark in conference play.

Pryor finished with a career-high six goals, including four in the first half, and senior attacker Madelyn Sminkey (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) added three goals and an assist for Scranton, which will take on the loser of Drew University-Catholic University this Wednesday, April 29, in the semifinals.

The Royals, who held a 33-21 advantage in shots and a slight 15-13 edge in draw controls, also received three goals from junior midfielder Heather Melone (Wall, N.J./Wall Township), two goals and an assist from senior attacker Erin Quinn (Baltimore, Md./The Institute of Notre Dame), two goals from senior midfielder Diana Rocklein (Islip Terrace, N.J./East Islip), a goal and four assists from junior attacker Kristen Marquino (Baldwin, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial), and a goal from first-year attacker Kaela Mahon (Avon-by-the-Sea, N.J./Saint Rose).

Goucher, now 7-7 overall and the number four seed in the Landmark tournament with a 2-3 record, was led by freshman defender Becca Smith (Leesburg, Va./Heritage) with four goals and an assist and sophomore midfielder Colleen Cole (Holliston, Mass./Northfield Mt. Hebron) had two goals and an assist.

Pryor scored three straight goals during a three-minute span as the Royals broke away from a 4-3 lead by scoring six consecutive goals in the final 10 minutes of the first half to take what appeared to be a comfortable 10-3 lead by intermission.

In the opening four minutes of the second half, Smith scored twice and Cole and senior midfielder Jenny Lucey (Newbury, N.H./Kimball Union Academy) added one apiece as the Gophers turned the momentum into their favor and trailed by only three, 10-7, with plenty of time remaining. Pryor then converted back-to-back free position shots to give the Royals some breathing room, 12-7. Mahon and Sminkey then extended the lead to 14-7, with goals within a 28-second span of each other.

After Smith converted a free position shot in the 44th minute to cut the lead to eight, Scranton responded with four straight goals-two by Melone and one each by Sminkey and Quinn-to close out the game.

Royal junior goalie Cassie Murphy (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) stopped seven shots while Goucher senior Brittany Foster (Portland, Maine/Portland) was credited with a game-high 10 saves.

Scranton has now qualified for the Landmark Conference tournament for the first time in the program's history. The Royals have, however, qualified for a conference post-season tournament eight times in the program's 10-year history, seven coming in their previous affiliation with the Middle Atlantic Conference.

Pryor's previous high of five goals came in a 22-10 victory over Misericordia University on April 14, 2009, in Dallas, Pennsylvania, and in a 14-12 loss to Oneonta State University on March 8, 2008, at Fitzpatrick Field.

2009-04-25