Rockville Centre, N.Y. - Senior Rachel Ray registered eight points on three goals and five assists to help the #1 Adelphi University women's lacrosse team to a 19-7 conference win over Molloy College this afternoon. The Panthers are unblemished at 14-0 and 2-0 in the conference, while the Lions drop to 7-9 and 1-3 in the ECC.

As in each of the last three games for Adelphi, sophomore Michelle Ceraso accounted for the first goal for the Panthers. She collected the first of her game-high four goals in the 2nd minute for the early lead. The Lions Rebecca LaFlare responded a minute later with the first of her three goals to knot the score. Freshman Erica Devito made it 2-1 in the 5th minute, but again Molloy responded to tie, 2-2.

Junior Vanessa Sotcheff's goal at the 8:53 mark on an assist by Ray spurred a 7-0 run that last into the 22nd minute to push the Panther lead to 9-2. Erin Brady snapped the rally with 6:41 left to play on a man-up situation, but the Panthers answered with two more goals. But the Lions managed the final word of the half with just under a minute to play as the Panthers led 11-4.

Freshman Marissa Mills opened the second stanza with a goal assisted by Ray. Sophomore Kaitlyn Carter found the back of the net for the second time to put the Panthers up 13-4. Ray and Devito tacked on two more goals to lead 15-4 with a little more than 20 minutes on the clock.

Both teams would trade goals over the final 18+ minutes of play with the Panthers outscoring the Lions, 4-3. Junior Danielle Kafarski had a goal and an assist in the tally. Junior Alyssa LaBosco hammered in the last shot with 2:23 left in regulation, 19-7.

Junior Caitlin Fitzpatrick made 12 stops in the net for the Panthers. Molloy's Alicia Frisch had five saves in 50:19 and Carmen Sanfilippo had two in the last 9:41.

Adelphi is back in action tomorrow, April 27, as they host St. Thomas Aquinas at 12 noon. In addition to Senior Day, tomorrow's game is also a "Think Pink" game with all fans encouraged to wear pink in support of a cure for Breast Cancer.

2009-04-25