SOUTH HADLEY, MASS. – Powered by four goals each from senior captain Tina Balzotti and first year Kirby Heffrin, Connecticut College defeated the Mount Holyoke College Lacrosse team 19-4 in non-conference action on Tuesday. The Camels improve to 2-10 on the year, while the Lyons slip to 3-11.
Along with Heffrin's (Marblehead, Mass./Pingree School) four goals, she also added two ground balls, while Balzotti (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury HS) had a draw control. Senior Hannah Donegan (Great Falls, Va./Flint Hill School) had a big impact, posting two goals, and two assists to surpass 100 career points. Junior Anna Jorgensen (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood HS) had a strong night, posting a game-high five assist, while first year Julia Loesch (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte County Day) had three. Sophomore Jamie Navoni (Natick, Mass./The Rivers School) also had a strong game with four ground balls and three draw controls, both game-bests. In goal, junior keeper Meghan Raskin earned the win with three saves.
For the Lyons, junior attack Leila Kouakou (Leeds, Mass./Northampton) led the offense with two goals and added a pair of draw controls. First year Julianna Rankin (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis) had a strong game defensively, posting a game-high four ground balls, and also a game-best three draw controls. Junior midfielder Kaitlin Braz (Tolland, Conn./East Catholic) had a goal and a ground ball, while senior captain Charlotte Wagner notched a goal and an assist. At goalie, senior Isa Rodriguez (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville School) made five saves.
The Camels got out to a fast start with three goals in the first six minutes of the game, including two from senior captain Tina Balzotti, which were both assisted by junior attack Anna Jorgensen. Mount Holyoke's Braz countered in the 19th minute with a goal off of a free position attempt to cut the deficit to 3-1, but Loesch found her teammates for three consecutive Camel goals to help extend the lead to 7-2.
Connecticut College was able to score four more times in the half, before Kouakou found the back of the cage off of an assist from Wagner with :02 seconds left to send the Lyons into break down 11-4.
Momentum continued into the second stanza as the Camels scored in the first minute off the stick of Balzotti to push the lead to seven. With 28:32 to go, Donegan found Navoni for the score in front of the net, earning an assist and her 100th career point.
The Camels offense continued to put pressure on MHC, scoring six consecutive goals in the final 21:21 of the game, giving Connecticut College the 19-4 victory.
Mount Holyoke will be back at home in conference action on Saturday, facing Wellesley College at 12:00pm. The Camels will be back in action on Thursday, hosting Western Connecticut State at 7:00pm.
