UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; March 4, 2007 - With crucial road trips featuring games against two ranked-opponents looming in the coming weeks, the No. 14 Penn State women's lacrosse team took care of business at home first, defeating Colgate, 11-4, Sunday afternoon in Holuba Hall. The win gives the Nittany Lions a 3-0 start for the second consecutive year and caps off a highly successful home stand.

After the Penn State attack exploded for 19 goals in Wednesday evening's rout of Bucknell, the defense got its turn to take center stage in Sunday's victory. Led by Tewaaraton Trophy nominee Renee Cipro (Ellicott City, Md.), the Lions' defensive unit never allowed the Colgate attack to establish itself or mount a serious threat.

Penn State controlled the action from the game's outset, totaling 11 shots and six goals before Colgate even got a shot off. Sophomore Marisa Lozano (Pittsburgh, Pa.) initiated the run by feeding a perfect pass to Lindsay Dutch (Ellicott City, Md.) who then found net, giving the Lions an advantage just 56 seconds into the contest it would never relinquish. Subsequent goals by Kerry Shea (Baltimore, Md.), Jessi Lieb (two) (Villanova, Pa.), Lozano, and Mary LeNoir (Timonium, Md.) helped Penn State fashion a 6-0 lead in less than nine minutes.

Meanwhile, the Nittany Lion defense stifled the Colgate attack, not allowing a shot until the 17-minute mark and a goal until 9:44 remained in the first half.

With the sizeable lead, Penn State began to substitute liberally and, as a result, the quick-strike attack stalled. After Lozano netted a goal at 21:45, the Lions would not score again until nine seconds remained in the half. Senior tri-captain Karen Long (Ellicott City, Md.) notched that goal, providing Penn State with a 7-1 advantage at the break.

In the second half, goals by Long, Dutch, Lozano, and Lieb pushed Penn State's lead to 11-1 with just nine minutes left in the game. Colgate recorded three late goals but the game had been long decided.

Senior Cammie Jurkowsky (Annapolis, Md.) started in goal for Penn State, registering seven saves while allowing one goal, en route to her third win of the season. Junior Jess Boccio (Northport, N.Y) relieved Jurkowsky at halftime and notched fives saves in her first action of 2007.

Preseason First Team All-American Jessi Lieb had her best offensive game of the season thus far, scoring three goals and notching two assists. For the second-straight game Karen Long contributed a two-goal, three-assist effort to the attack. Leading scorer Lindsay Dutch added two goals to her season total.

The Nittany Lions take to the road for the first time in the 2007 season next weekend, visiting No. 9 Virginia (2-0) on Fri., March 9 (7 p.m.) and William & Mary (1-1) on Sun., March 11 (1 p.m.). In 2006, Penn State fell to both the Cavaliers (12-8) and the Tribe (14-12) at home in Holuba Hall. The Lions beat Virginia just two years ago, a 10-7 decision in Charlottesville, but have dropped three-straight to William & Mary, last winning 13-7 in 2003 in Williamsburg.

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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (3/4/07) – Colgate freshman Meghan Lawler (Liverpool, N.Y.) scored the first two goals of her collegiate career late in the second half as the Raider women's lacrosse team lost to No. 13 Penn State on Sunday, Mar. 4, at PSU's Jeffrey Field.

Colgate sophomore goalkeeper Sara Drexler (Pottstown, Pa.) was strong in net, making 12 saves in the game as the Nittany Lions outshot the Raiders 35-24. Cammie Jurkowsky started the game for Penn State, and made seven saves in the first half before Jess Boccio relieved her at halftime and made five saves in the last 30 minutes.

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2007-03-04