SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- A barrage of goals in the opening minutes of the game carried MIT to a 25-2 women's lacrosse victory at Mount Holyoke College on Saturday, in the NEWMAC opener for both teams.
The visiting Engineers (6-1, 1-0 NEWMAC) scored four times in the game's second minute en route to a dominating 13-2 lead after one quarter. MIT also had a crucial 13-2 advantage in draw controls in the period, leading to possession of the ball for the vast majority of action.
MIT slowed the game's tempo from there, adding six goals to its lead in the second quarter, then four more in the third quarter and finally two in the fourth quarter for the final margin of victory. The Engineers outshot the Lyons by a 36-5 margin and had a 23-7 advantage in draw controls, while limiting Mount Holyoke to one clear on 11 attempts.
Ellie Rabenold scored MIT's first, second and third goals in the game's second minute, en route to a game-high seven points on five goals.
Sydney Pyon and Julianne Flusche both scored four more times for the Engineers, while both Lindsey Gambino and Ashley Thomas notched three goals and three assists apiece. Meredith Arterburn scored two goals with two assists and tied Pyon with a game-high six draw controls.
Gwen Flusche dished out six assists for the visitors, who impressively connected, to Mount Holyoke's frustration, on a high percentage of their passes throughout the game.
Mount Holyoke first-year midfielder Emi Bisson (Chester, Conn.), the Lyons' leading scorer, was held to one goal and one assist in the game. Sophomore captain Ella Phillips (Sandwich, Mass.) scored on a feed from Emi Bisson in the game's third minute, briefly interrupting MIT's game-opening surge.
Sophomore goalkeeper Emma Tower (Dover, N.H.) made seven saves for the Lyons. Abigail Kolyer and Molly Dulde split time in net for MIT, with Kolyer making the start and earning the victory with no saves, and Dulde making one save in the second half.
Mount Holyoke will stay at home to play Rhode Island College on Wednesday at 5pm in a non-conference game. MIT next plays a NEWMAC game at Babson, next Saturday at 3:30pm.
