Wagner Edged by Defending NEC Champion Sacred Heart

Staten Island, NY – The Wagner College women's lacrosse team put up a valiant effort vs. defending NEC champion Sacred Heart, coming up on the short end of a 9-7 decision at cold and wind-swept Wagner College Stadium. With the loss, the Seahawks fall to 1-7 on the season while the Pioneers improve to 5-4.

Wagner led 3-2 following a goal by junior attack Karen Vitkus (Skaneateles, NY/Skaneateles) off an assist from junior Dana Marchitelli (Annapolis, MD/South River) with 14:48 left in the first half. The Pioneers then countered with five consecutive goals to go into halftime with a 7-3 lead.

The lead grew to 8-3 at the outset of the second half but Wagner would not go away easily as the Seahawks scored four of the final five goals of the game to make it interesting.

Sophomore midfielder Carolyn Clark (Syracuse, NY/Westhill) started the Wagner rally with a goal off a free position shot with 24:43 left to play. Sophomore midfielder Melanie Garces (San Diego, CA/Westview) then slammed home another free position attempt to make it an 8-5 game with 16:13 left. Sacred Heart's Jackie Pierce countered with a goal on a free position shot with 10:25 left to put Sacred Heart on top, 9-5.

Wagner then received goals from Clark and senior midfielder Teri Noll (Elbridge, NY/Jordan-Elbridge) over the final 5:05 to make it a 9-7 deficit but the Pioneers managed to hold on for the victory.

Clark and Vitkus paced Wagner with two goals apiece while Marchitelli had one goal and one assist. Sacred Heart received great balance on the offensive end as four different players tallied two goals apiece in Carissa Hauser, Kaitlin Rochler, Kate Kmiotek and Alicia Fuchs. Pierce had a game-high three assists for the Pioneers.

Sacred Heart out-shot Wagner 29-21, led in draw controls 12-6 and in ground balls 21-14.

Wagner is next in action on Sunday, March 28 when the Seahawks host Villanova at 1:30 pm.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (March 26, 2010) – The Sacred Heart women's lacrosse team used a five-goal run to close the first half and turned in a solid defensive effort on their way to a 9-7 Northeast Conference win at Wagner Friday afternoon. For the third-straight game, the Pioneers forced their opponent into 20 or more turnovers while allowing less the 10 goals as they improve to 3-0 to start NEC play.

The Pioneers (5-4, 3-0 NEC) used a balanced scoring attack with four players scoring two goals apiece in the win. SHU used the final 11:42 of the first half to erase a 3-2 Wagner lead with a 5-0 run with sophomore Kate Kmiotek (Farmingville, NY) scoring both of her goals in the rally.

Wagner (1-7, 0-3 NEC) struck first with a Dana Marchitelli unassisted goal just 1:37 into the game and then answered a pair of Pioneers goals with a pair for a 3-2 lead. Senior Carissa Hauser (East Northport, NY) put SHU on the board at 23:19 with a score from sophomore Kaitlin Rochler (Wading River, NY). Sophomore Alicia Fuchs (Bay Shore, NY) made it 2-1 Pioneers just 1:09 later off a feed from Jackie Pierce (Cortlandt Manor, NY), her first of three assists.

Karen Vitkus put the Seahawks up 3-2 with 14:48 left in the first half scoring consecutive goals. SHU's Kmiotek ignited the Pioneer rally with an unassisted marker at 11:42 and ended it with 45 seconds left before the half off a feed from Hauser. In between, Hauser, Fuchs and Rochler all found the back of the cage, two from Pierce, as SHU went up 7-3 at the half.

The Pioneers made it six unanswered goals opening the second half with Rochler's second at 27:14 for an 8-3 advantage. Wagner used a pair of 8meter free position goals at 24:43 and 16:13 to cut the lead to 8-5. Pierce scored her lone goal at 10:25 on a free position attempt to push the lead to 9-5.

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2010-03-26