SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – Skidmore College saw four players record multi-goal efforts, including a game-best four from sophomore attacker Cas Szwajkowski, enroute to a 15-4 win over over Mount Holyoke College on Saturday afternoon. The victory moves the Thoroughbreds to 4-3 on the season, while the homestanding Lyons slip to 2-5 overall.
The visiting Thoroughbreds opened the game on a fast start, scoring the first seven goals of the contest, including three in the opening three minutes. Senior attack Allison Byrne (West Hartford, Conn./The Loomis School) grabbed the first tally, collecting a pass from first year attack Lilla Seymour (Wilton, Conn./Wilton), before spinning in the middle and shooting low.
Szwajkowski (Rye, N.Y./Northfield Mount Hermon (MA) tacked on another score less than 30 seconds later, followed by a free position tally from Byrne at 27:32 to make it a 3-0 game. Byrne capitalized once again off a pass from Seymour for the 4-0 advantage and Swajkowski followed less than five minutes later after caught a swift pass from sophomore middie Natalie LaBeau (Mountain Lakes, N.J./Mountain Lakes) and sped down the middle for a low shot and the 5-0 lead.
Sophomore defender Gianna Muscari (Millbrook, N.Y./Millbrook School) and first year attack Amanda Orvis (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Warde) then pushed it to a 7-0 lead with 15:13 to play. Muscari made a great individual effort, carrying the ball into the offensive zone on the clear. Ducking through traffic, she sped into the 8-meter area and banked it in low. Orvis followed just over a minute later with a free position score.
The Lyons got on the board at 11:35 as senior captain and attack Charlotte Wagner (West Chester, Pa./Westtown School) shot the ball up over behind the net on the pass. Skidmore's goalie attempted to make the stop, but inadvertently swatted the ball past the goal line for the score.
Wagner added another score with 6:05 to play, but Skidmore posted two more tallies, including the third from Swajkowski to give the visitors a 9-2 advantage at halftime.
In the second half, the Thoroughbreds continued to press, scoring six straight goals to open the frame. LaBeau led the way, grabbing the first tally of the stanza, before adding two consecutive goals following a Swajkowski score. Orvis closed out the scoring for Skidmore at the 4:04 mark with her third of the game and second straight.
Wagner went on to score two more goals over the final 2:50, but the Lyons could not gain any more ground before time expired.
In addition to Szwajkowski, the Thoroughbreds saw LaBeau notch three goals and a game-high three assists. Orvis and Byrne each had a hat trick, while Seymour posted a goal and two helpers. In goal, senior Megan Kolopsky (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan) earned the win with three saves, while first year Caroline Kenlon (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset) played the second half and made four saves.
For Mount Holyoke, Wagner scored all four goals. Senior Isa Rodriguez (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville School) shouldered the loss, making six saves over the first half of action. First year Mia Wysocki (Longmeadow, Mass./Longmeadow) came on in the second stanza, posting five saves.
Skidmore owned a 32-17 advantage in shots, while also posting a 13-8 edge in draw controls. Mount Holyoke had a 25-19 advantage in ground balls.
Mount Holyoke begins a three-game road swing, starting at Emerson for NEWMAC play on Wednesday at 6pm. Skidmore is back on the field on Friday at 4pm when it hosts the University of Rochester in Liberty League action.
